


Corruption

by Lord_Overlord



Category: Borderlands
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Anal Sex, Canon-Typical Violence, Daddy Kink, Fluff and Smut, M/M, Masturbation, Oral Sex
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-06
Updated: 2016-07-14
Packaged: 2018-07-12 16:42:34
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 22
Words: 90,855
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7113865
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lord_Overlord/pseuds/Lord_Overlord
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A very secret Tales from the Borderlands ending</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> i was so bored i made a soundtrack to go with the first chapter 
> 
>  
> 
> [You can listen to it here](https://clyp.it/ytqiukvv#)
> 
>  
> 
> if you time it right, it's as though you're reading with sound effects and that's pretty neat-o. So, uh, read slowly.

The scorching sun was blazing over the endless wasteland. Not a single cloud obstructed the vibrant blue sky, so the burning orb was free to reign over its barren kingdom.

Strong, unapologetically hot wind threw around sand and tiny pebbles, sounds of rock hitting rock filling the otherwise silent scenery. The heavy air was ever so slightly visible, passing in waves through the thick warmth of Pandora.

The horizon wobbled in the distance, making it difficult to see.

Just then, a shriek of a wounded animal or, perhaps, the creaking of a long forgotten rusted metal gate disturbed the silence of the desert – and then it was all quiet once more.

A single tumbleweed crossed the dusty broken road, the wind tossing it up and down, quietly playing a game with itself.

 

For once, the planet was at peace.

 

And just then, suddenly, the cracked, lifeless ground vibrated, coming alive, rocks and pebbles shaken awake against their will. The rambling echoed against the cliff side.

A barely visible, yet steadily growing dust cloud emerged from the undulating horizon, bringing with it the distant sounds of a radio. The sounds grew closer and closer, until the silhouette of a car made itself known.

The car rushed right past the tumbleweed, throwing it up into the air with the sheer force of speed.

 

Just like that, it was long gone.

 

The car was a convertible, a deep blue color with a giant ‘H’ imprinted on both sides.

 

At the wheel sat a tall, pale man in sunglasses, his cybernetic arm on the wheel, while the real one – the one made of flesh – ran through his hair. He was leaning back in his seat, the wind ruffling his auburn locks, a confident, almost arrogant smirk splayed across his features.  He swerved the car, ever so slightly avoiding the boulder obstructing his path, and that made his smile grow wider.

 

This was Rhys, the company man.

 

“Vaughn was right – this is so much more awesome!”- Rhys said to no one in particular, enjoying the sensation of the cool wind on his warm face. They should’ve taken a convertible the first time they came to Pandora, really, -“Now _this_ is style!”

 

Suddenly, another loud shriek pierced the desert – and this time it wasn’t an animal or a gate.

 

It was the deafening shriek of a psycho.

 

Rhys’s good mood immediately dropped, his smirk turning into a horrified expression. He adjusted his rearview mirror, only to discover a group of bandits tailing him in two different cars.

“Shit shit shit shit shit shit _shit-_ “- Rhys yelled, pressing the gas pedal into the floor, both hands on the wheel.

This was NOT good.

He reached into the passenger side compartment, checking if the gun he was given was still there.

 

_Oh, thank god-_

 

Placing it on the seat next to him – just in case – he took another look back, to assess the threat levels.

The psychos who weren't driving were leaning out of the windows, pumping their fists in the air and aiming weapons, others were standing on the car roofs, madly jumping up and down. The leader of the whole gang appeared to be a young, but bulky dark skinned woman, her crop top revealing a muscly body covered in scars. Her black hair was pushed back from her face by a pair of yellow goggles and a green bandana, and she had the look of a person who knew what they were doing.

She was also effortlessly holding a bazooka on her shoulder, aiming it... right at.... Rhys...?  
  
He managed to swerve just in time as the shot rang throughout the desert and the missile flew out of the barrel, missing his car by a few inches and hitting the cliff above instead.  
  
Rhys wiped the sweat off of his forehead with his left hand, the woman's distant maniacal laughter making his skin crawl, -"That was too close-"  


Just when he thought he was out of the danger zone, the woman sent another missile into the cliff, making it crack.  


His Echo eye flawlessly calculated that if she timed it right, another shot would send that entire part of the cliff right on top of Rhys's head.  


He had to act fast.

  
Rhys pressed the big red 'Boost' button on the control panel, and the car accelerated forward, the wind so harsh it made the sunglasses fly straight off of his face, his cheeks fluttering from the force.  
  
He sped past the crushing cliff just in time.

Looking back, Rhys saw one of the cars crash into the mess of rock and dust, a fiery explosion immediately following the collision. The other car, however, managed to avoid the impact.  
  
And that was the car with the Bazooka Lady.

  
  
And boy, did she look _pissed_.

  
  
Rhys, for one foolish moment, allowed himself to believe he was out of harm's way. The car's boost was still going - there was no way they'd catch up, right?  


_Wrong._

  
The next thing Rhys knew was the missile, passing by his head as if in slow motion, landing a few feet in front of him, the aftershock blowing his car off of the road, making it circle in place.  
  
"Woah woah woah woah!"- Rhys tried his best to steady the wheel with his cybernetic hand, barely managing to avoid plunging off of the road into the wasteland below.

He didn't even realize they were this high up.  
  
The car suddenly shook with the weight of a couple of Lil' Bandits, who jumped down on the boot out of nowhere. They waved huge knives around, inches away from Rhys's face, and despite the obvious threat of, y’know, certain death, the first thing Rhys noticed was the fact that _those bastards were scratching up the car_.

  
  
It was _expensive._

  
In his anger, Rhys barely managed to dodge a direct hit to the face from one of the bandits. Instead of Rhys’s left eye, his knife plunged into the radio.

  
  
And after a second of pained screeching, the music died.

  
  
The Lil' Bandit used his arms, legs, and body to try and pull the knife out from the metal clutches of the radio, to no avail.  
  
"I WAS LISTENING TO THAT,"- Rhys yelled, visibly distressed. The car was now ruined even more, and there was no way he could repair that himself. He punched the bandit in the face with his cybernetic arm, easily flinging him off the car and into the distance.

  
  
_Shit, this is bad._

  
The car was given to him after numerous requests and under EXPLICIT instruction to keep it undamaged. Oh _fuck,_ the management's going to KILL him.  
  
Another swing to his face brought Rhys back to reality.

Right- the other bandit.  
  
This one seemed more agile and definitely more intelligent than his counterpart - he easily dodged all Rhys's swings and punches. Rhys was more annoyed than anything else at this point, and it was hard to deal with the little bastard and the driving at the same time. Not to mention the Bazooka Lady was still on his tail.  
  
"Ah, goddammit,"- Rhys swore, grabbing the gun from the seat next to him, -"Go to hell, you sunuvabitch.”  
  
And with a triumphant smile, he pulled the trigger-

  
  
-ooonnnnly to have nothing happen.

  
  
"Aw, what!?"- The company man kept pulling the trigger over and over, just to have nothing but hollow clicks come out of the barrel. The Lil' Bandit stayed silent, turning his masked face from Rhys to the gun, obviously amused by his incompetence, -"Ya gotta be friggin’ kidding me, wha- Why is this thing not loaded!?"  
  
The bandit let out a cackle, making Rhys even more annoyed than he already was. He simply smacked the guy with the gun, having him fly off as well.  
  
Before he could even begin to celebrate his small victory, Rhys was met by a giant bazooka pointed at his face.  
  
"Say yer prayers, cowboy,"- The woman snarled, the stench coming out of her mouth making Rhys's head spin. He held his breath, half out of fear for his life, half out of fear of smelling _that_ again. He was prepared for the worst, when suddenly-

Out of the corner of his eye Rhys noticed the road taking a sharp turn – so, being the amazing driver that he was, he easily turned the wheel all the way to its left. The car turned just in time to avoid the deadly fall, but the bandits weren’t so lucky - all of them, including the driver, too busy paying attention to the bloody massacre their leader was about to perform.

The screams of the band falling to their death echoed in Rhys’s head like a broken record.

 

Well, at least he was safe now.

 

After another mile or so, the car gave out a sad huff and stopped in its tracks, the seatbelt painfully digging into Rhys’s ribs.

“Ah, crap… Why am I so lucky…”- He whined, giving the steering wheel a couple of hits. The engine then completely shut down, and refused to restart no matter how many times Rhys turned the key. That boost must’ve exhausted the system.

Defeated, Rhys allowed himself to fall face first into the steering wheel, causing it to emit a long, loud beep. He didn’t even care if he attracted skags or bandits at this point, he was just so _goddamn tired._

Just then, his Echo eye gave an indication that someone was calling him.

 

Unfortunately, he knew just who that caller was.

 

“He-he-hey there, buddy-boy!”- Jack boomed from the hologram projecting out of Rhys's hand, his shoulders jumping ever so slightly with each word, -“How’s it hanging? Still alive, I see – that’s good, that’s good.”

 

 _Offf course_ it was Jack. He had his hands on his hips, standing in that infamous pose of his, a smile so bright on his face one might even think it was actually sincere.

It definitely wasn’t.

 

“Juuuust peachy, Jack,”- Rhys answered, face still planted on the wheel, not really bothering to look up, -“You know, you really do have the best timing.”

“Aw, what’s wrong? Ya got skag rabbies or somethin’?”

“Better yet, I had a gang of bandits tail me for the past, oh I don’t know, 10 miles or so?“- Rhys’s voice cracked in anger at that last part, and he actually looked up to face Jack. He wasn’t even sure what he was so pissed about. Life in general, probably, -“It also didn’t help that the gun you gave oh-just-so _happens_ to be not loaded.”

“Rhysie, Rhysie! What, are you implying that I did that _on purpose_?”

 

Rhys didn’t reply to that. Silence _is_ a valid option.

 

“Honestly, cupcake, you surprise me. After aaaall we’ve been through, after making it to the top together, after me actually NOT killing you – and you still don’t trust me? We’re partners, Rhysie, and partnerships require trust!”

 

That actually sorta made Rhys feel bad for the accusation. Maybe he was too fast to judge and assume things.

 

“So what if I accidentally-totally-on-purpose didn’t load your gun in hopes to call in time to see the dumb expression you’d make when you realize that you’re about to be mauled by a bandit and you have no way of protecting yourself – wait, uh… What were we talking about again?”

 

Right, so. Never mind then.

 

“Look, just- send me another car, will ya? This one’s gone to shit and I have no time to be sitting around, doing nothing.”

“Hm, yeah, can’t do that,”- Jack’s expression was that of a very bored man – a man who was hoping to receive entertainment and was very disappointed with what was provided.

That made Rhys even more annoyed.

“The hell do you mean ‘can’t do that’!?”- He yelled, wishing he could punch something, anything. Preferably the masked face that was eyeing him down from the other side of the screen, -“Listen, I know I wrecked the car even though you told me not to, but you seriously can’t expect that down on Pandora-“

“Yeah, that has nothing to do with the car.”

“But you told me-“

“Aw, who cares about the goddamn car!?”- Uh oh, he was growing impatient. Not good, -“Look, I don’t care what you did to that piece of trash, they’re mass produced anyway. The thing is – well, we’ve got a problem.”

Rhys’s heartbeat increased in a second. What was Jack going to throw at him now…

“Y’know that large gun-thingy that fires supplies into Pandora? Supplies and sometimes people?”

“Yeah, the- wait, people-!?”

“Well, that thing broke down. Actually, the entire freaking facility broke down – nothing and no one can get in or out of Helios. So, you’re sorta stuck there for a while.”

 

Great. Just.

Great.

Definitely what he needed most right now. Awesome.

 

“How long is _a while_?”

“I dunno- a week, a month, forever – who knows? Yeah, okay, listen, I gotta go, corporate stuff calls and whatnot. I’ll catch up with ya later, k? Fingerguns~”

And after firing a couple of imaginary shots at Rhys, Jack and the screen he was on disappeared altogether.

“Great. Greeeeeeeeeeeeeat-“ -Rhys drawled, banging his head on his seat. This was just _so fucking fantastic._

He didn’t know where to focus his attention – the fact that Jack was quite obviously lying about the facility breaking down (c’mon, he was practically laughing the whole time), or the fact that Rhys was pretty much going to meet his demise on this god forsaken planet.

First thing’s first, he had to ration supplies. He probably had enough in the boot and the compartment to last him about a week or so. He knew he had the bullets for the gun somewhere as well, but probably not enough to fight off any major threat.

Jack really did leave him down here to die.

“Partners, huh…”- he whispered to himself, staring out into the distance of Pandoran landscapes with unseeing eyes.

 

His life was going to be… harder than anticipated.  


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> posting 2 chapters at once, as is per usual

"You're probably wondering _'How the hell did you get here?'_ _  
_  
Well, fret no more, for _I_  shall tell you my epic story…  
  
Seriously though, it's probably not... that... epic...

  
  
Anyway!  


So, as you know, we've been sent to Helios to retrieve the last Gortys piece and yada yada.  
  
After successfully fooling everyone around with the Vasquez disguise, being totally awesome, and breaking through all the security, we, uh… Ran into complications. Jack told me about this secret trap door in his office that leads to the prison block. So, being the hero that I am, I totally climbed through, avoiding all the death traps and sharp knives and all that snuff-  
  
What? Oh, don't look at me like that, I totally did!  
  
Yeah, okay, fine, _maybe_ the death trap was turned off and _maybe_ Fiona had to hold a lever that deactivated the deadly weapons.  
  
But my point remains- I climbed through and all the way into Jack's office.  
  
Man, lemme tell ya- it's something. That place is huuuuuge!  
  
It has all these statues, and giant windows overlooking Elpis, and this trophy case, and this cool desk-  
  
Uh, where was I? Oh, right, right, the story.  
  
Anyway, as I was sitting in Jack's awesome chair after heroically retrieving the Gortys piece- hey, he invited me to sit in it, okay!?

Let me talk, man.

  
  
As I was sitting in that chair, Jack started asking me all these ‘hypothetical’ questions about what would I do if I was the CEO of Hyperion, and then...  
  
Well, then he proposed to me.... he proposed an offer I could not refuse.

  
  
He asked me to rule Hyperion with him.  
  
Now, how the HELL do you refuse that!?

  
  
No, c'mon, stop it with the staring, I know what you're thinking- 'Jack is a crazy murdering megalomaniac psychopath, you can't possibly trust him!'  
  
But... Well...

  
  
He told me he always looks out for his team.

 

  
And you know I was Team Jack since day 1.

 

  
I couldn't say no...

  
  
I...

  
  
I just couldn't, okay!?  


Ruling Hyperion was the only reason we got into this mess in the first place, and ruling Hyperion with Jack-  
  
I don't know, you might say it's an added bonus. I'll get to learn from the man himself.  
  
Don't get me wrong, Jack is already driving me crazy. Hell, I'm pretty sure he left us stranded here forever and ever-  
  
No, no, don't worry, I'll take care of it. It's okay, hehe...  
  
Right, back to the story.  
  
*Ahem*  
  
I accepted the offer.  
  
And then I injected Jack into the Hyperion systems-

  
  
QUIT STARING AT ME LIKE THAT.

  
  
Honestly, you're making me question all my life choices here.  
  
It was cool, really. Jack announced to EVERYONE that I was the new president of Hyperion. So everyone had to now follow _my_ rules.  
  
Man, that felt _awesome._

  
  
I felt like I finally, truly achieved something.  
  
Jack lowered this cool disco ball in his office and it was a real party and I ordered pizza and-

  
  
Hm?

 

Fiona and Sasha..?  
  
Oh, right. Fiona and Sasha.

Well, Fiona and Sasha were not too happy with the announcement. In fact, I'm pretty sure they're still out there, using a picture of my face as target practice... At least I hope they're-  
  
Uh, let me get to that part.  
  
After I ate that incredibly delicious pizza, Jack told me about his plans to create... some sort of a... Jack robot army?  
  
Yeah, anyway, I managed to convince him that that's a pretty friggin' bad idea, considering that multiple Jacks could not possibly coexist in peace and harmony.  
  
He finally agreed, cuz that way he'd remain the one and only.  
  
Which is good, since the world doesn't really need more Jacks. One is one too much already, right-?

  
  
Oh for crissake, why are you laughing?

  
  
Sh-Shut up!! No, it wouldn't be my _'wet dream'_ to have multiple Jacks around me- J-Just, shut up-  
  
I'm trying to tell a story here!

  
  
So after _that_ uncomfortable conversation with Jack, I told him I had to go back to Pandora. Couldn't leave my best buddy behind, now, could I?  
  
As soon as I climbed down the trap door to give the Gortys piece back to Fi and Sash-  
  
Well, I was met with a fist to my face.  
  
I never did tell them about Jack, did I?  
  
They beat me up pretty well- which I do admit I deserved- took the Gortys piece, threw me in the holding cell and ran off.

  
  
Yeah... Can't say I didn't see that coming... I was hoping they'd understand but...

 

Well, y'know.  
  
I guess between choosing them and Jack I... I had to make sacrifices. And maybe I chose wrong, I just-

  
  
I'm still hoping they'll come around.

  
  
I knocked my head on the wall when they threw me in, so I blacked out for a while there.  
  
Jack let me out once I woke up, and I discovered that they already left. All of them, including Gortys.  
  
So I arranged for my own ride back down, and let me tell ya, it was a blast.  
  
Got myself a gun, a couple of shades, a car. Man, it was awesome.  
  
So, after grabbing some supplies, I got down to Pandora and saw this giant dust cloud and a lot of glowy thingies and these two giant monsters fighting- No, I _swear_ I'm not exaggerating!  
  
I was a while away, so by the time I got there it all settled down. No Sasha, no Fiona, no Gortys.  
  
  
Even LB was gone. Man, I hope they're all okay...

  
  
Vallory was killed, judging by the giant bloodstain near her bazooka, and a bunch of people died as well. Mostly her goons. Finch's body was there as well. No, I didn’t find anyone else.  
  
I searched for a while for any signs of them, but they all left.  


The Vault was gone too...  


Yeah, I know, I was hella late.  
  
Not like I would've helped out much, anyway.  
  
But I had a mission, y'know. Didn't come to Pandora for a getaway vacation.  
  
So I hopped into my car- What car?

  
  
Oh, you're not gonna believe this, man. I got a convertible! Yeah, a real convertible! One of the expensive ones as well!  
  
I had to practically beg the management- you'd think they'd respect their boss's wishes a little more now? I guess nobody really sees me as their boss quite yet, so Jack had to step in…  
  
So they gave it to me under my vow of bringing it back in one piece-

  
  
Hm?   


Oh, I kinda wrecked it. Well, not wrecked it, but I wrecked the engine.  
  
Dude, fuck off. It's Pandora, shit happens. Had a gang of bandits follow me for, like, 15 miles.  


But you were totally right, y'know! Coming down in a convertible is so much cooler. The way the wind blows your hair back and the sun on your skin-  
  
_Ouch_.

What the _hell_ \- that hurt!

  
  
Aw, you'll be able to ride it when we're back up on Helios, I swear.  
  
Man, I'm honestly so glad I finally found you, bro!"- Rhys gave Vaughn another tight hug- the millionth hug in a span of an hour.

  
Thank god his tracker was still working - they were able to find his coordinates on Helios and upload it to Rhys's Echo eye.

  
He found his best friend in almost no time.

  
They were separated for only a little while, but Vaughn already managed to grow out a thick beard, his hair (which he now wore in a tiny ponytail), lose his glasses and become even more rad.  
  
He was hiding out in a cave, having gathered whatever materials he could around Pandora.  
  
Telling him to run from Vallory was a good idea, after all.  
  
"Back up on Helios, huh..."- He said, thoughtfully looking up at the night sky through the cave opening.  
  
Rhys rubbed his arm where Vaughn punched him, following his friend's gaze up into the darkness of space.  
  
It was amazing, really. The journey they came through, only to go back up where they started.

 

But this time it was gonna be different.

  
"I don't know, Rhys,"- Vaughn sighed, turning his head and thoughtfully staring into the fire, -"I don't know if I can come back up to Helios after everything that happened. I'm not the same person anymore."  
  
"Buddy, buddy!"- Rhys exclaimed, placing his hands on Vaughn’s shoulders, -"You're not going back to being the old Vaughn! You're going back to a new life! New beginnings! No more financial reports and cheap beer - only champagne for us from now on, bro!"  
  
Vaughn smiled a little at that, giving Rhys a thoughtful side eye.  
  
"In fact, as the new CEO of Hyperion, I'm promoting you to the head of the accounting unit!"  
  
Vaughn's jaw dropped a little at that- after all, Rhys knew this was his dream job. It was what he strived for all these years.  
  
"Well, when you put it like that-"  
  
Vaughn was suddenly interrupted by a few loud beeps coming from the Echocom installed in Rhys's cybernetics.

  
Hyperion was calling – and that meant Handsome Jack was calling.

  
"Hang on, I gotta get that,"- Rhys mumbled with a defeated sigh.  
  
As much as he'd like to ignore Jack's seventh call of the evening, he very well knew he couldn't. Not if he wanted to return back to Helios any time this century.  
  
"Cupcake! How's life!"- Jack exclaimed with a happy wave. What a douchebag, -"Hey there, Muscle Man, how are ya holding up?"  
  
Vaughn jumped a little when Jack addressed him. This was already their second time interacting since Rhys found Vaughn (yeah, Jack called A LOT), but it seemed he'd never get used to the man's booming voice.  
  
"I-I'm okay. Just like I was an hour ago."  
  
"Aw, so you're telling me you haven't been torn to bits and pieces by some hungry psychos, were you?"  
  
"Jack, why are you calling _now_?"- Rhys stepped in before Vaughn fainted from nervousness. He may have taken a taste to Pandoran life, but sometimes what goes up on Helios (and especially the people there) can be way more intimidating than any Rakk Hive or skag down in this hellhole.  
  
"I'm just checking up on ya, pumpkin'. Finding out if you're still alive or not."  
  
"Oh, because you care SO MUCH about me, right?"- Rhys couldn't help the sarcasm, seeing as this was Jack's SEVENTH call in one day. _SEVENTH_.

  
  
Really.

  
He couldn't even begin counting how many calls he received in total in the last 3 days he'd been on Pandora.  
  
"Of co-ourse I do, Rhysie, we're partners-!"  
  
"You keep saying that, yet you purposefully leave me stranded out in the middle of nowhere in hopes I'd die-"  
  
" _Please_ , you think I actually care enough to strand you out there on purpose? Pfft, you think too much of yourself, kid-"

“You literally _just_ said that you _did_ care-!“

  
  
Vaughn's eyes kept shifting between Rhys and Jack, trying to follow the banter, but ultimately failing.

He had no clue what was going on - just that his best friend and the mass murdering tyrant that happens to be the resurrected CEO of the company he works for were now bickering like an old married couple.

  
And he really didn't want to be anywhere near that.  


"-and so you're telling me that you called me 32 times in the past three days because you don't care OH SO MUCH, huh!?"- Rhys shouted, pulling up his call log.  
  
It was _filled_ with calls from Jack, and honestly, that was almost as embarrassing as it being filled with calls from his mom. Maybe worse.  
  
"I did _not_ call you 32 times, what are you-"- Jack said, with no conviction in his voice. He took a moment to scrutinize his own call log on the other end of the line, -"I- Uh, wow. That is, uh- That really is a _lot_ , huh? Hm."  
  
Rhys didn't reply, just crossed his flesh arm over the cybernetic one, hoping Jack would manage to see his unimpressed expression.  
  
"So, on average, Jack called you around 11 times every 24 hours, for the past 60 hours? Haha, that's like a call every hour and a half!"- Vaughn butted in, also assessing the call log over Rhys’s shoulder.

Rhys suddenly felt incredibly uncomfortable. This was weird, -"Looks like Jack really misses you up there!"  
  
Vaughn appeared to completely forget that Jack was still on the other end of the line. His passion for numbers was evident, but _man_ , Rhys really hated how his friend could completely detach from reality in the worst possible moments.  
  
"I DON'T MISS-"- Jack boomed, his AI voice thick with static and distortion. Both younger men jumped at that, and Jack had to take a second to deeply inhale and steady himself, before speaking, -"I _don't_. Miss. Anyone- You- _Stupid little_ \- And _especially_ not that tall, scrawny- I don't- You- UGH, JUST- _GET UP HERE_."  
  
Jack disappeared from the frame for a second, and Rhys could hear him mumble something incomprehensible to himself, before dialling another number.  
  
"Send a shuttle down to Pandora to these coordinates. _Now_."  
  
"But sir-"- a man's shaky voice on the other end of the line answered, -"-you explicitly told us not to send anything down there under any cir-"  
  
"Listen here, _pal_. Do you value your job?"  
  
"I- Uh-"  
  
"ANSWER THE DAMN QUESTION."  
  
"Y-Yes, sir!"  
  
"Then you don't value your _life_ , do you?"  
  
"No, sir, I very much do so, sir!"  
  
"Then why the hell are you ASKING ME _QUESTIONS_!?"  
  
"Sorry, sir! Shuttle will be sent down in a minute, sir!"  
  
"Make it a _second_ before I pull your balls out through your throat."  
  
"Yes, si-!"

  
  
The connection was cut, and Jack reappeared in the screen, as glitchy and blue as ever.  


"Get your shit ready, pumpkin', you're coming home,"- He gave a chilling grin, and suddenly Rhys felt that he'd much rather stay on Pandora for all eternity than face whatever was going to happen to him on Helios.  
  
When Jack hung up, Rhys gave Vaughn a stern look, receiving an apologetic smile in return.  
  
"Hey, at least we got ourselves a ride!"- He tried to smooth things over, to no avail.  
  
Rhys was silent as he watched the distant lights of the Helios station, a tiny bright dot shooting out towards Pandora.

  
Their shuttle.

  
So Jack really did lie when he said everything was broken.

  
  
"Asshole..."- Rhys whispered to himself, resting his head on his knees, waiting for the shuttle to reach them.  
  
Vaughn didn't comment.  
  
Both were lost in thought, awaiting and at the same time dreading their return.

  
  
Hopefully, Jack would be in a better mood

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> walkthrough to getting the super secret ending:  
> >tell Vaughn about Jack  
> >trust Jack in the Atlas facility  
> >agree to help Jack get up to Helios  
> >don't tell FIona and Sasha about Jack  
> >rule Hyperion with Jack  
> >tell Jack you deserved it and have him call you 'his special boy'  
> >order pizza  
> >ignore literally everything else that happens afterward and drown in denial
> 
> hope this helps!


	3. Chapter 3

Jack _was_ in a better mood.

  
  
In fact, he was practically ecstatic.  
  
Which made Rhys even more anxious.

  
  
"Welcome home, sweetheart!"- He called out to the entire station once they arrived. Honestly, he was more frustrating than Rhys’s mom.

  
  
Their ride was bumpy - like, waaaay too bumpy - so Rhys just assumed this was Jack's way of getting revenge for embarrassing him earlier.

  
  
Embarrassing..?  


Yeah, _right_.  


Handsome Jack didn't get embarrassed. More like- leaving him speechless?  
  
Nope, not right either.

  
  
Annoying him.  


Yeah, that's a better word.

  
  
The bumpy ride was revenge for annoying him.  _Thanks a lot, Vaughn._  
  
Rhys was honestly expecting more jabs to his side than a mildly inconveniencing journey, but that's all he got.

 

So far, that is.

He couldn't let his guard down just yet.

  
  
Vaughn was glancing from side to side incredulously as they walked down the halls of the station, looking as though he stepped foot on Helios for the first time ever. He must have already forgotten what it was like, living in civilization.  
  
Well, at least he didn't seem disappointed to return home, so that was good.  
  
"How are you feeling, dude?"- Rhys asked coming up to Vaughn, who was just staring up at one of the many portraits of Jack strewn about Helios. He seemed to be deep in thought about something.  
  
"Weird, weird. Definitely weird,"- He said without turning to face Rhys, -"Being under this guy again... It's not only like we never left, but like we went back in time."  
  
"Hey, come on. Now you're under this guy too!"- Rhys proclaimed, proudly grabbing the hems of his vest and giving them a quick tug. He was trying to look cool, but his friend wasn’t buying it.    
  
Vaughn just rolled his eyes, smiling, -"Whatever you say, _boss_. Anyway, I'm hungry. Let's go get some of that delicious cafeteria food."  
  
"Delicious!? Since when is cafeteria food _'delicious'_?"  
  
"Since I tried skag meat- now let's go!"

  
They made their way to their usual table, laughing and punching each other in the shoulder. It was truly like they never left… Except the cafeteria was unusually quiet today.

And Rhys felt a lot more staring than he was used to.  
  
Vaughn ordered for the both of them - their usual meals (with some extra fries for Rhys, because he 'deserved it'), and they happily dug into their food while observing as Hyperion life calmly went on around them. It was so different, yet so familiar – as though they were finally waking up from a weirdly realistic dream.

  
  
"Hey, Rhys? I wanted to ask you-"- Vaughn began, but was immediately interrupted by a sudden all too familiar voice.  
  
"Heyyy, ladies, whatcha talking about?"- Jack appeared at their table, causing Rhys to choke on his drink and Vaughn to nearly fall out of his chair.  
  
" _Jack-!_ What the hell-!?"- Rhys stammered through coughs, while Jack laughed his holographic ass off, sitting down in the empty chair beside them.  
  
"C'mon, Rhysie, you survived Pandora- don't die on me now!"- He was clearly enjoying the show.

The cafeteria around them immediately seemed much emptier, people standing up and leaving behind in an all too obvious hurry. Handsome Jack’s revival was still a shock to most employees, and it was common knowledge to avoid him whenever possible. If you valued your life, that is.  
  
Vaughn remained silent, unsure of what to do or say in a situation like this. He suddenly didn't feel very hungry anymore.  
  
"What do you want?"- Rhys sneered, wiping the spilled drink off of his shirt and vest with a tissue. Couldn't he have just one moment alone with his friend?- "And where are you even projecting from!?"  
  
"Aw, can't I come and chat with my ol' buddies? Catch up on all that Hyperion gossip? I heard Mark was dating Shelly now- can you imagine!"  
  
"First of all, there is literally no one on this station named 'Shelly',"- Rhys sighed, realizing that this was going to be a difficult conversation, -"And second – since when are we your 'old buddies'."  
  
That last part was more of a statement than a question.

  
Jack answered it anyway.

  
"Since forever, kiddo! Vaughn, my man, we're pals, right?"- Rhys could swear he saw Vaughn shrink three sizes in his chair when the man abruptly turned his way, -"I mean, sure, you couldn't really see or hear me for the most of the time we've known each other, but hey, that doesn't stop us from being besties, right?"  
  
Vaughn just looked to Rhys, silently pleading for help. He may now know how to avoid a bandit eating his eyeballs, but dealing with Jack was a whole other area of expertise.

Maybe _this_ was the second part of Jack’s revenge.  
  
"C'mon, Vaughn, buddy, stop looking like a kicked puppy, talk to me. I won't bite- heck, I don't even have a body to bite you with! I mean, I guess I could always shoot you with a turret, but..."  
  
Rhys had enough of this.

He was about to intervene, when Jack continued, -"Oh, I know! How about we bond over those posters in Rhysie's office?"  
  
Now _that_ made Vaughn return to his regular size, and in just under a second. He straightened his back, leaned forward, and suddenly had that mischievous glint in his eyes – which usually meant he was about to make fun of Rhys.

  
  
Which also meant Rhys was going to quite _literally_ die from embarrassment in the next five minutes.

  
  
"Ooh, did you see those yet?"- He asked, losing all sense of self-awareness or shame. _Oh, Vaughn, why must you be so-_ _  
_  
"He-Hey, guys, c'mon-"- Rhys tried to stop the conversation, but it was pointless. There was really no going back now, was there?  
  
"Oh, you betcha I did! First thing I checked out when I gained access to the system. What I saw in there – most disturbing thing I’ve seen in years. And let me tell ya, I’ve seen a _lot_ of disturbing things."  
  
"So they didn't destroy our offices yet? Awesome!"- Vaughn seemed even happier now, for whatever reason.

 _Bullshit._  
  
"Nah, seems they were too busy trying to disembody the two of you to actually do something about your- Look, anyway, those posters were sure something. They’re certainly _not_ Hyperion issued."  
  
Rhys could feel his face burning now. He had to stop this.

  
  
He _had_ to.

  
  
"Yeah, they are! You just weren't here when they issued them!"- He tried to defend his pride - to no avail.  
  
"Even that one extra-limited-special edition Christmas poster made only for my most loyal fangirls?"  
  
_Wha- Uh-_  
  
_Fucking asshole-_

  
  
"Oh man, I remember we were standing in the line for _HOURS_ to get that one!"- Vaughn laughed, and Jack joined in.  


Rhys seriously didn't know what to do.

 

Sure, he wanted to throw himself out of an airlock from embarrassment on one hand, but on the other… Seeing his best friend bond with Jack was just too incredulous of a sight to miss.  


"If you think THOSE posters are bad, you should see the ones in his bedroom-"  
  
_ALRIGHT, THAT'S GOING TOO FAR._  
  
"VAUGHN-"- Rhys jumped up, throwing the rest of his drink in his friend's face, maybe a little _too_ desperate to stop him from talking.  


Vaughn, after the initial shock, was about to complain- then processed what he said, and promptly shut his mouth. _Damn that stupid habit of oversharing when he's comfortable around people._ _  
_

Rhys risked a look at Jack and- oh _god_ , it was happening.  


His eyebrows were shot up in that way that usually indicated he heard something VERY interesting. He slowly turned his head to look at Rhys, a devilish smile crossing his mouth.  
  
"Oh ho _ho_ , did I hear that correctly?"- He purred, a little _too_ happily, a little _too_ amused.  


Yep, Rhys was _definitely_ shooting himself out of an airlock later.  


"A secret stash of posters in your bedroom? That I haven't seen yet?"  
  
"Jack- You- Ugh. Shut up…"- Honestly? Rhys didn't have the strength to deal with this anymore. The stress and the exhaustion of the last couple of weeks - or was it already months? - finally caught up with him, and he wanted nothing more than to be in his bed, asleep.  


Vaughn seemed to share this feeling.  


"Well I, uh- gotta go change my shirt. And um, take a shower, so..."- He stood up, gently squeezing Rhys's shoulder.  
  
He was really sorry, and Rhys knew it.

 

Still didn’t help his situation though.

  
  
"I'll catch you later, okay?"- He whispered, leaving in the direction of his apartment.  
  
Rhys sighed, as Jack whined loudly after Vaughn, -"Aw, c'mon! And just when things were getting interesting!"  
  
But he was already in the elevator, far, far away from the trouble he caused. He knew that it was up to Rhys to resolve this one.

  
  
Rhys would make him buy him lunch for the rest of his life for this.

  
  
"I guess it's just me and you, Rhysie~"- Jack smiled, leaning over dangerously close.  
  
Of course, if he _truly_ wanted to stop Vaughn, he could. He could point a gun at him, or stop the elevator from opening.

 

Jack was Helios at this point, after all.  


He could do whatever he pleased, wherever he pleased. He was the king.  


And Rhys was really tired.  


"I'm going to bed,"- He mumbled, getting up.  
  
"Wha- No- No, no, no, no!"- Jack stuttered, following up behind him.  
  
His holographic projection (wherever he was even projecting from) could only reach so far, though. The rest of the way Jack had to follow him through monitors and speakers.  
  
"Oh, Rhys, but now I GOTTA see your room! You can't just dangle candy in front of a kid and expect him not to forcefully take it from you!"  
  
"You're not a kid, Jack,"- Rhys rolled his eyes, stepping into the elevator, -"And my room is definitely not candy."  
  
"You know what they say- one man's trash is another man's candy!"  
  
"Nobody says that- and my room isn't trash either!"- Rhys arrived at the bottom floor of the station, and began walking over to his apartment.  
  
In order to guarantee maximum productivity, Hyperion issued apartments to all their employees right here at Helios (especially those who couldn't afford their own homes in other places – rent was hella expensive in this galaxy). They were all located in two blocks, Left and Right, at the bottom floors of the station.  
  
The Left and Right simply indicated which side of the giant 'H' station you lived on. Rhys lived on the right, while Vaughn lived on the left. Which was quite unfortunate, really.  
  
"Let me judge that for myself, pumpkin',"- Jack tried again, appearing on all the monitors in the hallway. Thankfully, most people were already fast asleep and Rhys was the only one on his floor.  
  
"You- Argh- Listen, it's not like you need my _permission_ to get in there, do you? You're in the system, you can just access the camera in there yourself or something. _You_ of all people don’t care about inconveniencing me."  
  
Jack frowned at that.

"I'm not stupid, cupcake, I would've done that a long time ago if I could. Apparently installing cameras in employees’ apartments is a 'severe violation of privacy', and if I did that I would be sued. So just because a bunch of highbrow, snoot-nosed lawyers once advised me to do this one stupid thing, I now can't get access to any rooms unless the computer inside is connected to the system."  


Rhys stopped in his tracks.

 

It took him a moment to process all that- and when it finally dawned on him, he felt like he was invigorated.  


"So... you can’t get into my room?"  
  
"Nope. See, this is what I get for following the law for a change."

  
  
And Rhys was practically skipping now.

  
  
Jack couldn't get into his room! He was saved from terrible, horrible lifetime humiliation! He didn’t have to kill himself just yet!  
  
"What the hell are you so happy about, pumpkin'?"- Jack sneered as they got closer to Rhys's apartment.  
  
Rhys, however, managed to effectively block him out now that he knew Jack was no danger to his self-esteem and pride.  
  
God, how long was it since he's been here...? He really needed a shower, and to change out of these filthy, _filthy_ clothes. And sleep.  
  
Aw, yes, _sleep._

  
"RHYS,"- Jack roared as Rhys was getting his keycard to the scanner (yeah, his lock was seriously outdated). That made him jump a little, and turn to face Jack on the monitor opposite his door.  
  
"Don't you dare ignore me,"- Jack tried to look stern, but he was practically pouting, his hands crossed across his chest, his lips tightly pursed. Rhys thought this was weirdly (disturbingly?) adorable. Rhys had to shake his head to shrug off that thought. In the next second, however, Jack's face relaxed, turning into one of his 'sweeter' expressions, -"Come now, baby, let me take a peek into you apartment, just a _teeny_ glance-"  
  
"Good night, Jack,"- Rhys slammed the door behind him, not really bothering to turn back.  
  
Now, he was finally alone.

  
  
Really, _truly_ alone  


To ensure his solitude he turned off his Echocom, and shut all the blinds. Not that you could see much from his windows anyway, they just showed the Left apartment block on the other side of Helios. He didn’t even think about turning on his computer.  


He was alone.

  
  
Rhys turned on the lights in his tiny apartment, and looked around.  
  
His miniature kitchen (if it could even be called that) was on the left from the apartment's entrance, and the even smaller bathroom was on the right. A bit past the bathroom was his bed, with his table opposite that. And even further down were his wardrobe and a full length window on the left side of the wall.  
  
A giant 'H' was imprinted on the wall opposite the entrance door - but it was barely visible under the hundreds of posters Rhys had of Jack.

  
  
Maybe Vaughn was right - this was _kinda_ obsessive.  


It seemed to be so perfectly normal to him at the time, to decorate an entire wall top to bottom with magazine cutouts, posters, calendars. special editions, and anything and everything ‘Handsome Jack’ he could find.  
  
The posters in his office were there to just help him get through the day - now _this_ was where his true collection resided.

  
  
Rhys ran his hand across the posters, suddenly feeling an overwhelming sense of nostalgia. The person who put up these posters and the one touching them now couldn't be more different.

  
  
He now knew how Jack really was. _Who_ he really was.

  
  
But that overwhelming feeling of familiarity made his stomach tie into a knot.  
  
  
Rhys sat down on his bed with a heavy sigh, running a hand through his hair. He was truly exhausted.

He honestly half-expected to be disgusted with himself once he saw all those, to be beyond embarrassed, like a kid finally growing out of a phase.

 

But he didn’t really feel anything. Just exhaustion.

  
  
His eyes then wandered across the posters he had hanging above his bed... and, well...  
  
These were... even _more_ special to him.

 

All the nights he spent in this very same bed, looking at those posters… He really didn’t want to be thinking about any of that. Those memories weren't particularly pleasant. 

  
  
Still, after years and years of searching, collecting, obsessing… Rhys was certain he had the most complete Handsome Jack merchandise collection in the entirety of the universe. Hell, he even had the Handsome Jack AI all to himself at one point.

He smirked at that thought, staring up at a Jack poster, depicting the man riding the Butt Stallion.

_Come right up and get it – the one and only Handsome Jack AI! That’s right, ladies, your VERY OWN Handsome Jack in your head, for you and only you! Half-price off, for a limited time only!_

Maybe he should start a business - mass produce Jack’s program and sell it out on the black market.

 

Then again, he’d probably get a product return every second sale – Jack was insufferable. There was really no need for more of him in this world anyway.

 

If only he’d known that before he began the collection…

 

In any case, there was no way he’d let that egotistical bastard into his room just to watch him bask in the mistakes of Rhys’s youth.

 

He really should… throw out this stuff sometime soon…

 

• • • •

 

Rhys didn’t remember falling asleep last night. He must have just passed out from exhaustion.

 

In fact, he was still in his old (and now _very_ smelly) clothes, half-sliding off of the bed when his alarm clock indicated that it was time to rise and shine. He got so out of tune with his work schedule, waking up was almost physically painful.

 

After a much needed shower and a change of clothes, Rhys was on his way to his office.

 

…Except that he had to stop himself half-way, seeing as he didn’t have an office anymore. Or rather, his old office wasn’t his.

 

Rhys watched in shock as a meek looking, bony man carried box after box of Rhys’s stuff, dumping it onto a trolley held by a Loader Bot. Rhys’s eye twitched as he saw his Handsome Jack bobblehead among the stuff inside. He really should get that back – to, uh, throw it out himself later.

But why was this person throwing away all his stuff anyway..?

 

His Echocom was receiving a transmission the next minute, and Rhys found a secluded corner to take the call.

“What’s the hold up, cupcake?”- Jack asked him the second Rhys answered the call, -“What, giving up already? Gee, kid, you could’ve at least lasted a whole day-”

“Wha- No-“- Rhys interrupted him before Jack could start getting any more ideas, -“My old office- Someone’s moving into my old office!”

“Duh. Of course someone’s taking your place, dumdum, you’re the freakin’ CEO.”

 

Rhys only blinked at that, not really understanding the connection. He felt a yawn creeping up throat, and his feet automatically began walking over to the elevator.

 

"Ugh, do I _have_ to explain everything?”- Jack rolled his eyes, and Rhys just nodded, pressing the ‘down’ button on the panel.

“Alright, well. I guess first thing's first - I'm your mentor now, so I have to, y’know, guide you through this whole ‘being the CEO of a multi-trillion company’ thing,"- Jack kept on talking in the elevator, with Rhys listening closely, -"Honestly, this whole corporation went to shits while I was gone. I leave them alone for 5 minutes, and they're already selling all my shares for pocket change. Good thing we got here when we did, huh, Rhysie?"  
  
Rhys muttered something in response, neither a yes or a no. He was suddenly feeling tired again and just really wanted coffee. And maybe a nap.  
  
"Woah, where ya going, buddy?"- Jack stopped him as he was about to exit by slamming the elevator doors in front of his nose. Rhys didn’t even flinch.  
  
"Uh, cafeteria?"- He offered, pressing the 'open' button, too tired to even be annoyed.  
  
"Oh no, no, no, no, pumpkin’, you're not drinking the shit those peasants call “coffee”. Now, you're going to be drinking the good stuff up in my office! That’s right – coffee made from actual shit, baby!"  
  
Rhys raised his eyebrows, suddenly feeling more awake now than ever, -"You mean that fancy coffee pooped out by those exotic cats-?"  
  
"Yeah, yeah, whatever. You're having that. And, well, I guess I should be saying _our_ office now."  
  
Rhys didn't even comment on the whole office part, and Jack corrected himself anyway. _Their office...._ That was actually really super awesome.

He didn’t even need his old office anymore, did he?

  
  
Jack was truly recognizing him as his equal.

  
  
"Now go ahead and swipe that little keycard of yours. I reprogrammed the system, so now you're the only one with the access to the great Handsome Jack museum floor, buddy boy. Well, except for me, of course."  
  
Rhys's eyes went even wider, his lips breaking into a smile. He couldn't help himself.

  
  
This was it - his dream, finally, FINALLY coming true.

  
  
He confidently swiped his card and pressed the huge 'H' button on the panel.

  
  
This was going to be the best day of his life.

 

• • • •

 

It was, quite literally, the worst day of his life.

 

Rhys would’ve never anticipated it to turn out this way.

 

No, of course, the office floor was awesome – that was not the issue. And the museum was definitely great, too.

 

All the exhibits from the life and times of Handsome Jack were on display in all their glory.

And Rhys practically owned them too now. He truly did have the most complete collection.

While Rhys was down on Pandora, getting his best friend back where he belonged, Jack made a few adjustments to the office. He didn’t touch the museum part, of course – it was a tribute to his ego after all. However, he did remove all the barriers and other security measures, including the guards and the death shield that separated his office from the museum. He also added giant doors at the entrance and a small library in the corner of his office – “to make it more homely”.

Rhys didn’t mind the changes. Walking through the museum every day was going to be an eyesore, sure, but other than that, the office seemed liveable. He could certainly get used to it.

Sitting down in the huge yellow CEO chair, Rhys looked around the enormous office. He definitely felt… powerful. Like he could destroy an entire planet without moving an inch… And, well, he really could.

“ _You_ look like you could kill a hundred bandits with a wave of your hand, kid,”- Jack laughed from a monitor he had hovering above the desk, -“So? Ready to make more executive decisions?”

Rhys tapped a finger on the armrest, smiling to himself. Oh, he was _so_ ready.

“Alright! Well, first of all I-“

“Woah, hold your horses, cupcake, I was- heh, I was just joking,”- Jack crossed his arms over his chest, shaking his head, -“You- ha, you really think you can just come in here and start givin’ orders just like that?”

Rhys furrowed his eyebrows, leaning back in the chair. _What now?_

“Hyperion is in a worse state right now than Pandora during a nuclear war. Everyone’s running ‘round like headless chickens tryin’ to figure out what the heck’s going on and who's in charge and blah blah – and you, buddy, are gonna be the one to explain them.”

Jack looked like he was confident that whatever he said next was going to ruin Rhys’s day. Rhys was certain that that was true – Jack really liked to make life as challenging as possible.

“Let’s go, sweetheart,”- The man smirked, already retreating the monitor back into the ceiling, -“Your first meeting with middle management awaits.”

 

And _that_ was when the best day of Rhys's life turned into hell.

 

  
Being the CEO was a freaking nightmare – Rhys figured that out way too soon.

  
  
Jack really wasn't kidding when he said everything went to shit - he felt like he was talking to a bunch of monkeys at that middle management meeting. And then the board meeting after that. And the Human Resources meeting after that one.

  
  
It wouldn’t have been _that_ bad, if only all of those monkeys didn’t friggin’ think they were _way_ better than him. Apparently, getting a sudden promotion from Vice Assistant Janitor to the CEO wasn’t installing confidence for a lot of people – except they were all too chicken to question Jack’s decisions, so they only showed it in their condescending tone of voice and the way they kept staring at Rhys as though he was dirt on their shoes.

  
  
In the words of Jack, said on their way back to their office: those shareholders had half a brain to share between all of them, and believed they were the greatest men to live.

“Which is complete and utter bullshit,”- Jack added then, -“Since it’s obvious that I’m the greatest.”

  
  
This whole CEO training was going to be way more difficult than Rhys initially thought.

  
  
The day wasn’t even over yet, and he already had to read about a thousand reports, talk to a thousand people, attend a thousand meetings- all while everyone around him treated him like a stupid baby.

“Can you believe that guy?”- Rhys threw his hands up, falling down into the ridiculously comfy chair, -“He asked me to pour him coffee – who the _hell_ does he think he is!?”

“What guy was that again?”- Jack was floating around across the windows, obstructing the view of Elpis, his hand under his head and his legs crossed over.

“Mark, I think. One of the accountants.”

“The one that’s definitely a virgin?”

“Yeah, that guy! But really, Jack, shooting him wasn’t… necessary.”

“Nuh-uh, I shot _at_ him. He’s alive and scared shitless – just the way we like ‘em. You see, this is why we do it, baby. So dimwits like him don’t get too full of themselves.”

Rhys chuckled, beginning to feel glad he had Jack on his side. Those people really were stupid.

“I can’t believe this is what you used to do. It’s ridiculous.”

“Oh, no- No, no, no- You’re cute, cupcake,”- Jack laughed then, wagging a finger at Rhys, -“ _I_ never used to do any of that – there were people to do that for me. That’s how the big guys roll… But, y’know. You’re a newbie. Ya gotta establish authority and whatnot. Learn from the ropes.”

Rhys somehow felt that Jack was making fun of him yet again, but didn’t argue. He really was new at this. Plus, his brain short-circuited when Jack called him cute, so it took him a moment to catch up with the rest of what he was saying.

Nobody respected him quite yet – maybe shooting at a couple of people to get that respect was not a bad idea.

 

Rhys shook his head, turning back to the reports he had to read and fill in.

 

Those thoughts weren’t going to lead him to a good place.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> idk how helios looks like k


	4. Chapter 4

“Was Pandora _always_ this boring!?”- Rhys whined, overlooking yet another empty patch of dirt and sand, -“Where are all the bandit fights? Where’s all the action?”

He was staring through the giant Helios telescope for around an hour and a half now, and the most exciting thing that happened was a skag getting run over by a truck. And even then, it was more gross than exciting.

“It’s because I’m not around, cupcake. I make their lives just _so_ much more interesting,”- Jack said from the ceiling, where he was sitting upside down for the last 15 minutes. He installed holographic projectors across Helios, apparently, and now there was one in almost every room, -“Remind me why are we wasting our time looking at that crusty piece of rock again?”

“ _I’m_ here because I want to look for my friends. I have no idea why _you’re_ here.”

For whatever reason, Jack decided to spend one of their few days off together with Rhys in this tiny room, overlooking Pandora in search for any signs of Fiona, Sasha, LB, or Gortys. In the end, Rhys really was worried for them. He had no clue what happened to them or if they were alright, and no way of actually tracking them down. This was pretty much his only resolve to finding his friends.

So he grabbed his coffee, a notebook to write down any significant findings, and headed over to the Helios telescope room.

Jack was floating down from ceiling over Rhys’s head now, circling him around like a bored vulture, -“I’m keeping my eye on you, Rhysie. Can’t have you messing up Hyperion while I’m not looking.”

Rhys rolled his eyes at that. It was a pretty lame excuse to hang out (seeing as he was just looking through a damn telescope) but he didn’t comment. If Jack wanted to spend his time twirling around him, then so be it. As long as he didn’t distract him from what was important.

If Fiona and Sasha were back in Hollow Point, then there was no way for Rhys to find them until they ventured out. It was deep in a cave, after all. But he was still hoping to find a sign – maybe footprints, or Fiona’s hat by the side of a road, or _anything_. He promised Vaughn he’d look for them. And he promised himself.

“Really, cupcake, how long can this last?”- Jack was getting seriously annoyed by this whole endeavor. Rhys just shook his head - It’s not like he was keeping him.

“Until I find them,”- He answered with resolve, but honestly, he wasn’t sure he would. Probably not today.

He couldn’t exactly sit here forever.

“Why don’t you order someone else to do it for ya, you’re the friggin’ president here…”- Jack yawned, stretching his arms over his head, -“We’ve been sitting here for over an hour, all alone, and all you want to do is stare out that… big…”

He stopped talking for a moment, and Rhys simultaneously stopped jotting down random coordinates in his notebook to glance at him from the corner of his eye. Jack was looking right back at him. He didn’t seem fazed at all to be caught staring - in fact, he suddenly got this mischievous smile on his face, and flew up closer to Rhys’s face.

“Rhysie, baby, wouldn’t you rather… Do something more fun?”

Rhys only blinked, quirking an eyebrow. More fun...? Uh, sure. 

 

“Well, Vaughn invited me to go go-karting, but I told him I had stuff to do.”

 

Jack seemed… unsatisfied with the answer. He shook his head, flying up even closer.

 

“No, I mean… Something more fun... With me?”- He purred into Rhys’s ear, and Rhys was suddenly quite uncomfortable. _What the hell…_

“I mean, I guess you could come if you wanted to, but it wouldn’t be much fun since you can’t exactly-“

“Oh, for crissake-”- Jack interrupted Rhys, throwing his arms in the air in desperation. Rhys still had no clue what was happening, but Jack seemed annoyed with him for some reason, -“We’re all alone in this tiny ass room, and you’re talking about go-karting!?”

“Uh… Would you rather… Talk about financial reports or…?”

 

Jack threw his hands in his face, exhaling slowly. Rhys only turned around to the telescope again, not really wishing to partake in _that_ weird conversation anymore.

He accidentally elbowed his coffee mug off of the stand when he turned, so now it was jumping away from him on the floor. _Shit_. 

At least it didn’t break – and _thank god_ it was empty. If he spilled coffee on all this electricity, Jack would’ve killed him.

 

Sighing heavily, Rhys stood up and walked over to pick up the mug which rolled behind some of the machines. He bent over, trying to reach for it, but his arms weren’t long enough. His fingers _just_ barely grazed the handle.

_C’mon, c’mon… You can do it…._

 

Jack was being uncharacteristically quiet all this time, but Rhys didn’t pay him much attention. That is, until he started speaking again.

 

“Nice ass.”

 

Rhys nearly slipped in place from the sudden comment.

 

He coughed, choking on his own saliva, quickly turning back to face Jack, who was standing with his arms crossed over, a wide grin on his face.

 

“Wh-Wha-“- He didn’t hear _that_ correctly, right!?

 

“I _said_ nice ass, cupcake,”- Jack repeated again, and Rhys felt himself go crimson. _What the fuck-_

 

“Not funny, Jack,”- Rhys simply returned to reaching for his mug, finally managing to grasp the handle. Will this jackass do  _anything_ to distract Rhys from working? 

 

“What? I wasn’t joking.”

 

Rhys rolled his eyes, sitting back at the telescope. _Yeah, right_.

 

“Teasing then, whatever. Quit it, it’s annoying."

 

Jack suddenly was too close to his face again, that shit-eating grin plastered across his mouth, -“It’s called _flirting_ , dumdum. Your head’s too thick for my subtle hints, so I have to be direct.”

 

Rhys sank his head into the chair, trying to distance himself as far away from Jack as was possible. He kept staring into his eyes, and Rhys had to swallow down. His throat was suddenly way too dry.

 

There was no way he wasn’t kidding, right? So why the _hell_ did Rhys’s face burn like it was on fucking fire!?

 

“Heh. You’re cute,”- Jack said then, his tone of voice completely devoid of sarcasm. He was still smiling, but something in his expression changed – it was gentler now, much softer, and way less smug. 

 

Rhys felt like screaming.

 

“Eat shit,”- Was the only thing Rhys could reply while staring at Jack like a skag in the headlights. 

 

For a second there he was certain Jack would be angry, that he would do something to hurt Rhys, except…

 

He just roared with laughter, flying up and away from Rhys’s face. He clenched his stomach, pointing at Rhys while in complete stitches, as though he just heard the best joke of his entire life. Rhys didn’t know whether he preferred _this_ or anger. Probably anger. 

 

“You’re such an idiot – I love it!”- Jack exclaimed then, and Rhys realized that this was more than enough humiliation for the day.

 

He quickly grabbed his mug and notebook, shutting down the telescope systems, and headed for the door without another word.

 

Jack didn’t stop him – just continued laughing.

 

Rhys thought he was a complete and absolute asshole, and decided to stay pissed at him for the rest of the week.

 

• • • •

 

It was the end of the week.

 

Jack killed someone today.

 

 

He killed a couple of people, actually.

 

 

It was another meeting, and people were just as dumb as ever. One of the shareholders, still not quite understanding the situation, had the brains to mention that the ‘real’ Jack was dead. And the other just _had_ to mention something about his child.

_“Yeah, didn’t both Jack and his daughter-“_

He never got to finish that sentence, because the next thing he knew was a bullet in his head from the inbuilt turret in the wall of the meeting room. The man beside him only had to open his mouth in surprise, and the next moment he was shot as well.

 

Everyone in the room grew dead silent, not daring to make a single move.

 

Rhys held his breath.

 

He could feel his hands shaking under the table, could feel his throat going dry.

 

He couldn’t stop staring at the dead bodies, still bleeding and staining the white carpet crimson.

 

“Any more questions?”- Jack asked, his voice calm and level. It sent chills down Rhys’s spine.

 

In the next moment, the meeting proceeded as per usual, no one daring to step out of line. It was the easiest meeting Rhys had in the last couple of days – and it was the hardest to sit through. Everyone just pretended the bodies and the smell and the blood weren’t there. Rhys knew they were.

The bodies of the two men, slouched over one another like sacks of meat… 

 

It was too surreal.

 

Killing people down on Pandora was almost ordinary, as though preserving the natural order of things. It wasn’t as though Rhys thought it was any more justified, but… He never killed an innocent person. Most of the deaths he caused or witnessed were in self-defense – but this was just… slaughter.

 

Jack killed two defenseless men, and then went on to talk about the sales.

 

It shook Rhys down to the core for the rest of the day.

 

• • • •

 

“What the hell was that, kid?”

They were back in the office, and Rhys was sitting on one of the guest chairs on the other side of the desk.

 

He couldn’t bring himself to sit in the CEO chair for some reason.

 

Jack was hovering above him on one of the monitors, his hands on his hips, scrutinizing Rhys with his glare.

“You let them boss you around like that, and they’ll eat you alive,”- He continued, pacing back and forth on the screen.

 

Rhys couldn’t care less about what he said or done during that last meeting. He didn’t care that he let the accountants make fun of him right in front of his face. He didn't care that he made an idiot of himself in front of Vaughn. He didn’t care about Jack’s disapproval.

 

He couldn’t stop thinking about today, about earlier, about death and how little it meant for the man in front of him.

 

“Really, I’m starting to think you don’t even wanna _be_ here-“

“You didn’t have to kill them,”- Rhys mumbled, interrupting Jack. He was staring down at his feet, holding his face in his hands. He couldn’t stop himself from saying it even if he wanted to. It was going to drive him insane.

 

“Um- Excuse me?”

 

Rhys remained quiet, running a hand through his hair. Their deaths… Really were going to weigh down heavy on his conscience. He was in charge of this company - he was responsible for their safety. And he caused their deaths, if not directly.

 

He still had a spot of blood on his shoe.

 

“So this is how it’s gonna be, huh?”- Jack rolled his eyes, his voice sounding more and more annoyed by the minute, -“You’re just gonna be sitting there, whining like a huge dumb baby _–“Jaaaack, you didn’t have to kill them! Jaaaack, they had families-‘"_

The mocking tone sent shivers down Rhys’s skin, making him stand up in anger, -“They DID have families, you asshole-“

“And I’ll send them complementary gift baskets along with the remains of their loved ones,”- Jack waved him off, turning around, -“It’s standard protocol.”

 

Rhys slammed a fist on the desk, taking a deep breath to calm down.

Jack didn’t care at all – he didn’t care what happened to anyone but himself.

 

Those people were just in a regular meeting, going about their day, living their lives with their hopes and dreams and aspirations- and then-

 

The image of the bodies flashed behind Rhys’s eyelids, making him shiver in rage.

 

This was what Hyperion was all about, wasn't it- this is what the man he adored was. He was just another murderer.

 

Vaughn was right. 

 

_This whole thing was…_

 

“A mistake…”- Rhys mumbled, turning his back to the desk and slowly walking down the stairs.

 

“What-?”

 

“This was a mistake,”- Rhys repeated louder, fastening his pace. He didn’t know where he was running off too, where he would be safe from this man – all he knew was that he could no longer stand seeing Jack’s face all around him.

“What the… The fuck you saying, you dickhead!?”- Jack’s monitor was in front of his face the next instant, and Rhys had to push it out of the way to get through, -“Where the fuck are you running!?”

 

“Ruling Hyperion was-“

“Don’t you fucking DARE finish that sentence, you little asshole-”- Jack was on every monitor in the room then, projecting on every surface, his voice echoing across the office, -“I gave you EVERYTHING you ever _dreamed_ of, and _this_ is how you repay me!?”

Rhys didn’t listen anymore, just continued to move towards the exit. _Why is this office so damn big…_

“I made you into a king- hell, I made you into a _god_ , and you’re telling me this was a fucking _mistake!?_ You’re telling me you _don’t want this!?”_ \- Jack’s voice was glitching, resonating throughout the office and Rhys’s skull. Rhys was so close to the exit now… –“There is _no way in HELL_ you’re leaving this place, pumpkin’-”

The doors slammed shut right in front of Rhys’s face, and he stumbled back from the force. In the next instant he was on the floor, and Jack’s monitor was directly above his head.

“Let me go, asshole!”- Rhys yelled, knees suddenly feeling weak.

 

The realization where he was and what Jack could do was suddenly weighing down on him… And it made his stomach clench so tight he wanted to throw up.

 

“Wha- Just _what_ are you doing!? What the hell is _wrong_ with you!?”- Jack yelled in response. He looked mad, just as Rhys thought he would be, but also… Confused?

“What’s wrong with _me!?”_ \- Jack’s weird expression gave Rhys the confidence to stand up, to face him properly once again, -“You _killed_ two innocent people in that meeting, and you’re asking what’s wrong with ME!?”

 

“ _Innocent- Innocent people!?”-_ Jack’s eyes went wide then, and he retreated his monitor farther away from Rhys’s face, -“Who the _fuck_ told you they were innocent?”

 

Both men looked at each other in stunned silence for a moment. Jack looked bewildered, as though he just couldn’t comprehend what was going on in Rhys’s head, and Rhys felt as though he _really_ messed up somewhere along the way.

 

If Jack was _this_ confused by his behavior, he must’ve really missed something crucial.

 

“Wha-“- He tried, but was immediately interrupted by a very, VERY annoyed Jack.

“You thought those douchebags I shot were innocent!? What the actual _fuck_ , kid?”- Jack shook his head, running a hand through his hair. He never did that before - he must be  _really_ mad.

 

After another moment, he pulled up a couple more monitors by his side, each depicting the profiles of the two men he killed earlier. Rhys swallowed down, suddenly feeling nauseous again.

 

“Eric Hupper, 45,”- Jack suddenly said, his tone of voice that of an annoyed teacher, -“Made his fortune by leveling down orphanages across Pandora and Elpis and replacing them with casinos. And I _do_ mean that literally – the dude probably blew up more kids than Hyperion made weapons. And that’s a _lot_ of kids.”

Rhys’s eyes ran through the words on the monitor, traveled across the pictures Jack was showing him, but he just couldn't take it in. It was almost as though his entire worldview was being flipped on its head just then.

“Jim Scott, 37. Killed four ex-wives not to pay aliments. He had nine kids, but no one knows where they are now. Probably dead too. Total dickhead,”- Jack showed him the profile of the second man, the one that made the comment about his daughter. He seemed to be especially spiteful when talking about him, -“I don’t know about you, kid, but none of this exactly screams ‘innocent’ to me.”

 

Rhys took another moment to process it all through, suddenly feeling like a complete idiot.

 

In a matter of seconds, these men transformed from being innocent bystanders to two of the most tyrannical people Rhys has ever met.

 

There was no way he could’ve known this beforehand, of course, and still… He made assumptions, and was about to walk out of the office without knowing the truth.

And if Jack hadn’t stopped him, he would’ve never known.

 

Jack was practically doing the world a favor by killing these men, really…

 

“Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”- Rhys whispered, sitting back down on the floor and curling up into a ball. He was suddenly feeling small compared to everything that was going on around him.

“Hell, if I’d known you’d storm out of the room like a friggin’ diva because of a couple dead guys, maybe I would’ve considered it,”- Jack rolled his eyes again, but lowered the monitor down so he was more at level with Rhys, -“Listen, kid – lesson number uno. No one in that meeting room is innocent. Not. A. _Single_. Person.”

Rhys only nodded, staring down at the blood stain on his shoe. He momentarily wondered why in the world did Hyperion even associate with people like that, but…

 

In the end, he and Jack were no better.

 

Well, maybe a little better.

They never destroyed orphanages, after all.

 

“You don’t make it big by being a nice guy. That’s not how the world works,”- Jack finished up by extending a hand towards Rhys, as though to pat him on the shoulder. The monitor didn’t exactly allow that, -“Now think before you say stupid shit, okay?”

Rhys nodded again, sighing in defeat.

 

Was this suddenly okay, then? Were Jack’s murders justified..?

 

He had no clue how to answer those questions. He was emotionally drained at this point. 

 

Jack was about to retrieve his monitor, when he stopped, thought of it for a moment, and turned back to face Rhys.

 

“Oh, and, remember this, kid,”- He looked at him with a small smile, as though trying to encourage him, -“You don’t have to be a nice guy to be a hero.”

 

 

Rhys didn’t know whether he was being sincere just then.

He decided to believe it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and the plot thickens  
> or smthing


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> alright kids it was fun but its time to go to bed now
> 
> let the adults read from here on out

The rest of the week passed by quickly without another incident.

 

The news of Handsome Jack’s revival took the world by storm, it was the only thing playing over and over on the news. Rhys was mentioned a few times as well, but nothing too significant.

 

Hyperion was somewhere between a joyous celebration and a battlefield – Rhys felt as though every meeting was a warzone.

 

Jack was by his side throughout it all.

 

It was disturbingly easy to forget Jack’s murders in the midst of everything that was happening.

 

It wasn’t as though Rhys didn’t always know that Jack killed people. It was part of the reason he was so powerful, after all.

But...

 

Hearing about it and seeing it were two different things.

He used to think it was so cool, how Jack could just pull the trigger on anyone without a second thought. He used to admire it. 

 

But in reality, it was just unsettling, and in more ways than one.

 

Maybe the fact that the people Jack killed weren’t exactly innocent didn’t exactly justify his actions, but it certainly made Rhys feel better about what happened.

If murder was to happen, he’d rather have bad people be killed.

 

And really, were they _that_ different from bandits?

Both those men probably killed more people than a bandit ever could dream of, and yet they were somehow considered more worthy of living. In a way, it pissed Rhys off.

 

Just because they had money didn’t mean they were absolved of all their sins.

 

And maybe that way of thinking wasn’t exactly that of a 'good' person, but Rhys never considered himself to be a saint anyway.

 

At least thinking like that made it bearable to look at Jack again.  _And_ it kept him sane for the rest of the week, until the murders were practically forgotten. 

 

Neither he nor Jack mentioned the incident, and all the tension between them seemed to die off the moment they returned to work.

 

And working side by side with Jack… was an experience.

 

Rhys was worried the threat of murder would weigh on his mind every time they sat in a meeting, but truly, Rhys barely thought of it at all. He just admired the grace with which the man handled the most ridiculous questions, made decisions that made the most sense, and had Hyperion back up and running in almost no time. No wonder everyone respected him no matter what he did.

 

Really, neither Henderson nor Vasquez had anything on him.

 

And the fact that he actually consulted Rhys before making big changes, the way he always seemed to divert the question to have Rhys included in the conversation… It made him feel truly important. 

So what if it was only Jack giving him the attention – honestly, Jack looking at him felt _way_ better than if the whole world was looking at him at the same time.

 

Being recognized by Handsome Jack was like being recognized by god.

 

Everyone else would come around, eventually.

 

“Quick thinking there, cupcake,”- Jack gave him a thumbs up as soon as the last manager left the meeting room. He was projecting himself on a chair at the head of the table, with Rhys sitting immediately beside him on his right, -“The HR never saw it coming.”

Jack had the meeting rooms get bigger tables, seeing as there were two CEOs now and there should be more room at the head.

 

That made Rhys ridiculously happy. 

 

“Why do you always talk like everyone is our enemy?”- Rhys laughed, lying his torso down on the table. 

They were the only ones left in the room, and it was their last meeting of the day. He deserved to relax for a while.

“Because they _are_ ,”- Jack was suddenly projecting on the desk in front of Rhys, sitting with his legs crossed over. Rhys raised his head up to look the man in the eyes, -“Remember this, Rhysie – there are no friends in the corporate world.”

Rhys only cocked an eyebrow, -“Oh, is that so? Then what are _we?”_

It was an innocent question, one made to refute Jack, start a playful argument. But then Jack got this weird expression on his face, smirking down at Rhys, and Rhys had to swallow hard, suddenly feeling exposed.

“We’re _so_ much _closer_ than friends, baby,”- Jack chuckled, resting his cheek on his hand. He was still looking at Rhys, staring directly at him, and Rhys felt a tingle run down his spine, -“We’re _partners_.”

Jack's hand went through Rhys's shoulder when he tried to touch him, and the latter flinched back.

 

He didn’t mean _anything_ by it, Rhys knew it – he was just being a tease, making fun of him, and yet Rhys felt his heartbeat speed up nonetheless.

 

He disguised it by an annoyed huff.

 

“Yeah. Sure. Whatever,”- He mumbled, getting up. It was late and he should start heading home. 

 

He didn’t like it when Jack acted all weird like that.

Or rather, he _liked_ it, but he _hated_ himself for liking it.

 

They certainly got closer over the week - working together could really do that to people. Bonding over other people’s stupidity was especially easy.

 

But sometimes Rhys felt that they were just… _too_ close. Jack would get these weird expressions, say weird things in this weird tone, and it would make Rhys feel all…  _weird_.

 

Ever since Jack told him he was flirting with him, Rhys was practically driven mad.

All those pet names, those uncomfortably close conversations, those glances, and those phantom touches Rhys could swear he felt on his skin… It wasn’t that Rhys was complaining, it was just that he was-

Well, _complaining._

He knew Jack was teasing him in around 90% of their conversations, but this kind of teasing was… _Different._  It made Rhys feel frustrated with himself for not understanding it, and with Jack for not explaining what was going on.

 

“ _It’s called flirting, dumdum.”_

 

It couldn’t be though, right? He was Jack, and Jack didn't flirt. 

 

Maybe he was overthinking things.

 

Yeah, that was probably it.

 

Nothing was happening and he was just a frustrated mess. A sexually frustrated mess, at that.

 

“Sweet dreams, cupcake,”- Jack called after him when Rhys closed the door.

 

He was probably just imagining the wink that followed, too.

 

Probably.

 • • • •

 

Rhys fell down on his bed, exhausted to the core. This week was an emotional rollercoaster.

It was always going to be like that with Jack, probably. Not a single bleak moment.

 

Rhys didn’t know whether he could keep up with Jack's pace – but then again, it’s not as though they had to lead the same life… Jack was a different person. It was difficult to remember that when the man practically lived in his head all this time. 

 

Rhys’s eyes wandered over the Handsome Jack posters above his bed, thinking how much easier life was when he was just a blindly dedicated fanboy. When he never had to actually deal with Jack, his whims, his weird mood swings...  _His flirting._

_Ugh._

He used to wish and pray to at the very least hold a conversation with Jack… And he learned that dreams did come true. Maybe not always for the better. 

 

Since they finished early today, so Rhys had a lot of time to himself. He usually just passed out from exhaustion as soon as he came home, but today he was restless.

He kept thinking about Jack, and the pet names, and the _partners_ …

 

A piece of paper sticking out of the corner of his bed caught his attention. Rhys did think he was sleeping rather uncomfortably for the past week, so he crawled over to take a look.

 

He pulled it out then, only to have his stomach immediately drop as soon as he realized what it was.

 

He completely forgot about _this_ thing…

 

Rhys just stared at the glossy booklet in his hands, fingers running over the smooth paper. Just when he was thinking of Jack, he just _had_ to pull this thing out…

 

That Valentine's Day edition of Handsome Jack calendar… was not Rhys’s most proud possession. It was the one thing that distinguished him from all the other fans.

 

He hated it _so much._

 

Handsome Jack, contrary to popular belief, did not actually do that many lewd photoshoots.  
  
In fact, this photoshoot was the only one in existence. This calendar - a _very_ limited edition.

  
  
And Rhys - along with probably a hundred other perverted fans - was the one to own it.  
  
He still remembered how red he was asking the cashier for it, standing in line for hours on end to get that one stupid calendar. He tried so hard to convince everyone it was for his 'girlfriend'.

  
  
Speaking of which...  


Rhys flipped through the filthy, stained calendar, feeling disgust and embarrassment at his former self.  


Or, rather, _hoping_ to feel disgust.

  
  
Instead, he felt that warm, tingling sensation at the bottom of his stomach.  


_Fuck..._  


So he really was not over it yet.  
  
His stupid fucking celebrity crush on Handsome Jack was still there, still going strong.

 

This was _ridiculous_.

 

Jack was no longer just a figment of his fantasies – he was a real person in his life. A real _annoying, terrible_ person. And yet…

 

If the way his cock tightened at the image of a shirtless Jack, with his jeans and boxers lowered to his hip bones, exposing well-toned abs and the beginnings of a happy trail, was anything to go by, Rhys still had a thing for him.

 

Maybe that’s why he let Jack get away with so much. Maybe that’s why all those words, and touches, and looks, and expressions got him so worked up.

 

Maybe that’s why he always chose Jack.

 

But he didn't _want_ this.

 

Not right now, not ever again.

So why was it that he was now turning the page from February to March, looking at Jack's shirtless back in nothing but his gray boxers perfectly shaping his ass, his tan line ever so slightly visible over the hem of the cloth. Jack was looking over his shoulder, his mouth concealed by his broad body, only left side of the face and his green eye visible in that striking profile, that scrutinizing gaze staring, judging Rhys, leveling him with dirt. Rhys didn’t want to be looking at this anymore…

  
So _fuck_ , why was it making him so fucking horny??

 

Rhys hated how much he liked Jack’s body, how absolutely gorgeous and perfect it was in every way. He hated how these calendar pages brought back memories he never wanted to remember, hated how easy it was for him to forget the real Jack and return to the Jack of his many fantasies.

  
  
He was already unbuckling his belt, undoing the button on his trousers, not really thinking what the hell he was about to do, when he flipped over the page and saw April – and the memories really started to flood back.

It was last April when he broke up with his ex-girlfriend, Stacey. And it was in this very room that this happened.

 

Because of this very picture.  


Nobody was supposed to know about Rhys's posters.

  
  
_Nobody._  
  
Vaughn had the tendency to show up unannounced and just invite himself in, so it was no wonder he did, eventually, see them. But hey, best friends don't judge best friends – even if their best friends are kinda _really_ creepy.

  
  
But other than Vaughn, nobody was ever going to know. And hell, even Vaughn didn’t know about the existence of this calendar. Rhys was taking this to his grave.

  
  
So when his then-girlfriend Stacey suddenly showed up on his doorstep, Rhys nearly fainted.

  
  
He excused himself, saying he had to clean up, that his room looked like a skag ran through it. He needed to remove all the posters and quick, because _holy shit_ , she wasn't supposed to see _this_ for sure.  
  
But, unfortunately, luck was never one of Rhys's strong suits, as he didn't close the door properly behind him, and Stacey walked in. She laughed, saying it was okay, that she didn’t mind – and then froze mid-step.  
  
The only thing Rhys managed to hide was the very same calendar he was holding in his hands right now.

  
  
He stuffed it on top of his wardrobe, when Stacey called out to him.

  
  
And if only it ended there… Life would've been so, so much easier.

  
But no.

  
Stacey, _damn her for being so freaking nice_ , didn't actually mind his obsession. Of course, she was hella creeped out, but, according to her, 'everybody has their quirks'.

  
  
And then they had sex.  


In this very same room decorated top to bottom with Jack.

 

Despite the painful memory, it was the absolute _best_ sex Rhys ever had - because he could imagine Jack all that time.  
  
His face was everywhere, his name surrounding Rhys, overwhelming him. That freaking calendar fell down from the wardrobe, they were just _that_ enthusiastic.

It was open to this very same page. This fucking picture of Jack in his leather jacket, shirtless, lying down and pulling his boxers down with his thumb all the way to the middle of his thigh.

 

Looking at that made him go crazy.

  
  
So it was no wonder he came screaming Jack's name.

  
Stacey ran out of the room then, half-naked and embarrassed beyond belief.

  
  
They never spoke after, despite the numerous attempts Rhys made to apologize, swallowing the leftovers of his shattered pride.

  
  
She never replied.

  
  
The only thing he ever heard about her later on was that she told everyone they broke up because his room was a mess, and she couldn't stand messy guys.  
  
_God bless her for being so nice._

And not completely destroying his reputation, at that.

  
  
Rhys still remembered how he looked at this damn calendar back then, how he wanted to burn every poster in his room.

  
  
Except he just couldn't. He was overwhelmed with lust, embarrassment, still riding on emotional highs.  


So he jacked off.

  
  
It was unapologetic, and very, _very_ filthy.

  
  
It was all to this picture of Jack he was holding in his hands right now.

  
  
His feelings have certainly calmed down after he actually met Jack and found out what he was _really_ like, but on the other hand...

  
  
He was now turning over to May, a picture of Jack in his glasses, his hand going through his hair, as he leaned against a wall in a pair of white boxers, which very obviously outlined the giant bulge between his legs.  
  
Rhys's hand slid below the hem of his own boxers, grabbing at his cock, teasing it a little in his hands, probing at the tender flesh. He licked his lips, feeling his heart speed up in his chest.

  
  
"Ya like the look of that, dontcha, cupcake?"- Jack's voice echoed loud and clear in his head, and Rhys _hated_ himself for being able to imitate it so perfectly, down to the very tone and expression with which he'd say it. Those half lidded eyes, those furrowed eyebrows, that predatory smirk-

The page for June displayed Jack completely in the nude, with only his hands covering his privates. He was grinning there, as though mocking Rhys, making fun of him.

  
"You want some of this, Rhysie?"- He imagined Jack whispering, his hoarse voice low and so close to his ear. Rhys’s hand automatically responded by tugging at his cock, almost painfully.

  
_God_ , this was so _good_.  


He had so much more to work with now, so much more to explore - like the way Jack called him 'his special boy' or ‘partner’, or the way Jack's eyes would sometimes flicker to his lips when they were too close-  


Rhys hated this, hated _so much_ how he enjoyed every moment of this.

  
  
His thumb traced over his slit, smudging precum across the tip. He finally reached into one of his bedside drawers to take out lube.

  
  
If he was actually doing this, he was doing this properly.

  
  
Flipping over to his favorite page- it was October, and Jack was sitting down, in yellow Hyperion boxers, the camera angled exactly so that it would focus on the bulge in his pants, and then his abs, and then that killer look, the watchful eyes, the exposed tongue, the ridiculously perfectly styled hair, the smile, almost soft, almost lustful- he could barely take it. It was all so perfect, and Jack was perfect, and Rhys was now moaning, panting hard, sliding his hand up and down his shaft, grasping at his balls, his back hitting the cold wall.

  
  
"Let me do if for ya, pumpkin',"- The Jack in his head told him, his imaginary hands ghosting over Rhys’s cock, his ass, his ghostly lips pressing kisses to his neck, -"You like it rough, huh?"

  
  
Rhys saw Jack's hands over his thighs, his head in between them, his mouth wet over his groin.

  
  
"Let me make you scream, princess,"- Jack said, licking at the head of his cock, -"You're so fucking special to me, Rhys. I will make you cum so hard you will forget your own name."  
  
Rhys had to thank Hyperion for the soundproof walls because he really _was_ practically screaming now.

  
  
Jack was slowly removing his yellow boxers, exposing his toned ass, teasing, smirking, winking at Rhys, and then finally tugging them down and freeing his cock, looming over Rhys, his hands spreading his legs open, running up and down his thighs, his erection probing at his entrance-

 

 

\- and then Rhys was coming all over the calendar, the bed, his own chest. He was screaming Jack’s name as the image turned into blurry dots in his head, saw white, then black, and then he was lying down in a pool of his own cum, exhausted, disgusted, embarrassed, and so, so, so _happy_.

  
  
_What the hell is wrong with me_ , he thought, tiredly looking over the stains that somehow managed to even get on the floor.  


He breathed heavily through his nose, slowly pushing his pants down, then pulling up the blanket, covering himself with it to his head, trying to hide himself from this world forever.

  
Why did he even....  
  
_Ugh._  
  
  
How the _hell_ was he going to face Jack tomorrow?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Really, Rhys..?  
> That's nasty


	6. Chapter 6

"Gooood mornin', sunshine!"- Jack chirped as soon as Rhys stepped into the office and, honestly, Rhys never felt more like kicking him in the face and setting him on fire.

Oh, don’t get it wrong - he fell asleep quite quickly yesterday, completely exhausted after… y’know.

 

It was later that he woke up.  


Because of a _fucking wet dream._  


He hadn't had those in weeks- hell, he hadn't had one ever since he met Jack.  
  
But _no_ \- now, of all the times in his life, he just _had_ to have one.

  
  
Of course it was about Jack (fuck that calendar, he had to burn it the first chance he got), and after he woke up in cold sweat- and warm, um, other parts- he couldn't go back to sleep. _At all._  


"Hope you slept well, cupcake, we have a long day ahead of us!"- Jack continued, his voice piercing through the quiet office. If Rhys wasn’t so utterly exhausted, he’d probably punch the monitor.  


How the hell could Rhys still find him arousing, with that stupid confident look of his and that beautiful winning smile- _ugh,_ it was frustrating.  
  
Is this what they call a love-hate relationship? Albeit it was one sided - and Rhys _definitely_ wasn't in love.

He was so frustrated, he couldn’t even find it in him to feel embarrassed at what he did.

 

The Jack in his dreams and the Jack smirking at him right now… They were different people.

 

Rhys poured himself a cup of coffee (which did taste amazing despite being made from shit) and sat down in the chair.

“What’s the agenda?”- He asked Jack, sighing loudly and taking a sip of his coffee. Before Jack could even open his mouth, Rhys was crying out, throwing his cup halfway across the room.

Jack only raised an eyebrow at him, -“Burned your tongue?”

 

Rhys stuck it out of his mouth, breathing in heavy like a dog.  _Great start of the day, huh._

He officially had the worst luck out of everyone and anyone he knew. 

 

Jack then lowered his monitor closer to Rhys’s face, _too close_ , tilting his head and smirking up at him with a weird expression on his face.

 

“Aw…”- He practically whispered, his voice low and hoarse, -“Want me to kiss it better?”

 

Rhys choked on his own saliva.

 

Jack roared laughing the next instant, retrieving his monitor away.

 

Rhys could feel his cheeks burn up hotter than the coffee he was drinking.

 

Okay, maybe the dream Jack and the real Jack weren’t as different as he thought.

 

And yeah, okay.

 

That _was_ going to be a problem.

  
  
  
 • • • •

  
Everybody had _one of those days_.

For Rhys, it was more like _one of those weeks_.

Or maybe months. Or years.

 

It just sucked.

 

He felt that every meeting was cutting a year off of his lifespan.

  
  
It was getting under his skin so much, he even snapped at Vaughn.  
  
He would have to apologize for that later...  


Finally sitting back down in Jack’s chair at the end of the day, Rhys sighed, loudly banging his head on the desk. Well, it wasn’t exactly Jack’s chair anymore, it was more- uh, his- their?

 

Their chair?

 

While Rhys deliberated on the super important subject of whose chair he was currently sitting in, Jack silently lowered a monitor above his head.  
  
"What, ready to call it quits?"- He mused, arms crossed over his chest.  
  
"Stop asking me that,"- Rhys pressed his cheek to the cool surface of the desk, enjoying the sensation. He had to admit it, he was overwhelmed, -"I never realized how much you actually do around here."  
  
"Ha! What, did you think I just sat on my ass all day, pressing buttons and having everyone do everything for me?"

  
"No…"- _Yes._

  
"Sorry, kid, life ain’t that easy.”

“But I thought you said you had people…”

“Yeah, for all the corporate bullcrap – _I_ actually did the _important_ stuff. If you wanna be successful, ya gotta do everything yourself. That's why I was barely ever here."  
  
"I guess... You traveled down to Pandora a lot..."  
  
"I _did_ want to save that shithole of a planet, after all."

Rhys stared off into the distance, tracing his eyes over the trophies in Jack's case. _Pandora, huh..._

 

Whether it was the exhaustion, the weird tone of voice in which Jack said that, or the framed picture of a little girl Rhys could see out of the corner of his eye – he suddenly felt like listening to what Jack had to say.

“Do you miss it?”

 

“…What was that, cupcake?”

 

“Do you miss it?”

“Miss what?”

 

Jack’s voice was low, some might even say dangerous, but Rhys knew better at this point – he was curious.

And what _did_ Rhys mean when he asked the question, anyway?

 

Did Jack miss Pandora? Being in charge of Hyperion? Tearing people into tiny shreds?

 

“...Being alive?”- It was an area of questioning to avoid with Jack, and Rhys knew it. The former CEO really hated the fact that he was killed – it was probably one of his greatest defeats.

 

But somehow, this just felt like the right question to ask this instant. And Rhys was way too tired to think things through anyway.

 

Jack was silent for a moment, and then sighed heavily, -“Well, not having a body sucks. I kinda miss touching things, if you know what I mean.”

He laughed, devoid of any amusement, and Rhys scrunched up his nose in disgust. He just _had_ to be a pervert, even now.

“But really, kid, I can do wa-a-ay more damage when I’m in the system. Hell, I sent off half the accounting department flying just the other day!”- Jack paused then, as though deliberating his next words, but he said nothing.

 

They stayed silent for a while, and Rhys took a deep breath.  

  
  
"We can still fix it,"- He muttered, sitting back up and reclining in the chair. Jack looked at him with a raised eyebrow, and so he clarified, -“Pandora, I mean. We can still fix it.”

  
They really could.

  
Jack gave him a weird side-eyed glance just then - Rhys couldn't really understand that expression, and he was way too tired to try.

  
  
At the very least he didn't actually feel awkward around Jack after yesterday, and that was already more than he could hope for, really.

  
  
"You still haven't shown me your room, cupcake. And you _know_ I'm still curious,"- Jack obviously changed the subject, but Rhys was already closing his eyes, his body going limp.

  
"And I never will,"- He mumbled, feeling himself drift off.

  
Just for a moment - he will relax just for a moment. He knew he still had loads of work to do, but napping for a few minutes won't hurt.  


Before Rhys even knew it, he was fast asleep - and he certainly wasn't going to wake up anytime soon.

 

• • • •

 

"Rhysie, just _why_ are you being such a tease,"- Jack laughed, looking out to Elpis.

  
  
He always loved that giant glowing rock. It looked pretty in his windows.  


_'We can still fix it', huh..._  
  


Maybe they could.

Maybe this was the only way he could do it. Together with Rhys.

Jack never anticipated meeting anyone like him, after all.

  
  
At first, Jack mostly just used him as another idiot pawn of his, to get him back up to Helios. It was just his luck- getting stuck on Pandora in some asshole's head.

  
  
But he had to get up here, no matter what.

  
And now that he finally _was_ here- well, maybe the kid wasn't as dumb as he looked. Sure, at first Jack was certain he was just yet another weirdo, worshiping him without a second thought.

  
  
And those posters he had in his office... He was really dedicated. Jack couldn't blame him for being obsessed- after all, so many people were. Still are.

  
But as the days went on and on, and they spent more and more time together down on Pandora, at some point Jack realized that not only did he think it was okay for the guy to like him - he _wanted_ Rhys to like him.  
  
He wanted to show off, to have his trust, to have his love and devotion-

  
  
Proposing to rule Hyperion with him was nothing more than a farce at first.

  
  
A promise never to be kept.

  
  
But suddenly it was so much more than that.  
  
The kid really did trust him, choosing him over the hat lady and her hot-but-not-as-hot sister ( _what, he liked hats_ ). And then agreeing to work together and actually plugging him into the system-

  
Hell, Jack could kill him any time he wanted to. The kid really _was_ stupid.

  
Except that Jack _didn't_ want to kill him, and he was actually quite intrigued.

  
  
Rhys was after the power, after the money and fame being the CEO of Hyperion got you- but, unlike countless others, he wasn't prepared to kill Jack over it. He didn’t like killing. _That_ was hilarious.  
  
He wanted to have Hyperion together _with_ Jack – maybe even more so than just having it by himself.  
  
It was a weird kind of devotion, but one Jack enjoyed. Made him feel like he had a puppy, albeit a pretty grumpy one.

Corrupting his innocence away was beautiful. The kid had a taste for blood, despite all his attempts to deny it. You don’t make it this far in the corporate ladder without having a taste for blood. He was a good guy, sure, but Jack knew he could make him into a hero.

  
  
And hell, embarrassing the guy was his most favorite thing in the universe. Flirting with him was just an added bonus to the mix. 

  
  
He really did wonder about those posters. Judging by the way Vaughn said it- and especially by the way Rhys reacted- they were a _goldmine_ for teasing Rhys.  
  
His curiosity was at its peak.

  
  
Seriously, he nearly considered highjacking a robot and just bursting in through the door, but he wouldn't be able to get back into the system after- and Rhys sure as hell wouldn't let him back in after something like that.  


What could he _possibly_ be hiding in that room of his?

  
  
Could he even have _that_ \- Nah, he wouldn't.

  
  
…Would he?

  
Was he that much of a pervert?  


_God_ , this was driving him wild.

  
  
"Really, cupcake, how about I give you a pay raise? One peek and I increase your salary twice fold,"- Maybe bribery would work, Jack considered. Not that a CEO needed a pay rise, but still.

  
  
Rhys didn't reply, and that was making Jack annoyed. He hated being ignored so much.

  
  
"Don't you think ignoring me when you got nothing to say has gotten a little old now, kiddo?"- He asked, bringing up the monitor in front of Rhys and-  


Hell, how long was he staring out that window!?  


The kid was fast asleep in Jack's chair, looking as though a meteor crushing into the station wouldn't wake him up.  
  
His mouth was hanging open, a trail of saliva trickling down his chin, and he was snoring quietly.

  
  
Jack didn't know how to react.

  
  
He couldn't even make fun of him since there was no one to laugh with.

  
  
Should he take a picture?

 

Should he call Vaughn and make fun of Rhys with him? Would the guy pass out from nervousness before making it to the office? He didn't know anyone else on this damn station anymore, so much has changed since he was gone.

  
  
And he really did like Vaughn. He was cool.

  
  
But no, that would be stupid. Rhys looked so undisturbed and mellow…

 

It made Jack sneer with disgust.  


Jack always wanted to punch something when he felt that weird pang in his chest whenever he got too close to Rhys. It was there now, too. _Stupid adorable kid-_  
  
Rhys suddenly shifted, his head falling over to his right and exposing the left side of his face...

 

And that port on his temple.  


Jack had the most brilliant, most amazing idea ever.  


It was risky, it was evil, and, quite frankly, Rhys was going to hate him for the rest of his life if he did it, but...  


_Worth it,_ he thought, and promptly injected himself into Rhys's head.

 

And then everything went black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh where could this possibly be going


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> posting new chapter early cuz its my fic and i fucking can

Rhys didn't even know what time it was when he woke up - just that it was hours later.

  
  
"Shit,"- He mumbled, rubbing at his heavy eyes. This was a bad idea.  
  
He quickly looked over at the time stamp on his computer screen, realizing it was pretty damn late. Everyone was long asleep- although, Hyperion never truly sleeps.  


God, maybe tonight he could get some rest-  


_No, wait. Work comes first._  


"Jack!"- He called out, hoping the man wasn't too angry with him. Hell, why didn't he wake him up? Couldn't be because he cared enough to let him get some rest, could it?  
  
After a few moments of no response, Rhys grew impatient, -"Jack!? Just where the hell are you? I know you can hear me!"  


But it was all to no avail. Jack was ignoring him.  


Maybe this was his way of punishing Rhys for dozing off on the job.

 

Well, it was for the best.

  
That meant Rhys could freely go back to his crummy apartment and sleep all he wanted.  
  
Honestly, the moment he got his first paycheck was the moment he was moving out of that place.  


Rhys was an anxious mess all the way to the elevator, and then all the way down.  
  
He was sort of kind of half expecting Jack to jump out on him any time (as well as a disembodied hologram could jump out), but it was quiet.  


The more Jack wasn't around, the more Rhys grew uneasy.

  
Was he sleeping, maybe?

 

...Did he even need sleep?

  
Rhys swiped his keycard, opening the door to his room. Jack wasn't there until the end, so he assumed this was going on until (at least) tomorrow.

  
  
Which probably meant it was safe to text Vaughn without interference.

  
  
"hey bro!"- He quickly typed out on his Echocom, not really having the strength for a call.  
  
"I'm like super sorry for being so nasty to you today"  
  
"tough day at work"  
  
He received his reply in a few seconds, -"So ur telling me it suks bwing the CEI?"

  
_Ugh, Vaughn and his typos.  
  
_

  
"plz install auto-correct I'm begging you"  
  
"Neverr"  
  
"and yeah it's a tough job- apparently one doth not sit on his ass all day and push magic buttons to make miracles happen"  
  
"Lol"  
  
"rlly tho dude I'm sorry"  
  
"It's oksy"  
  
"*Okay"  
  
Rhys rolled his eyes, -"you really didn't have to correct that one"  
  
"I want my forgivness to be meaningful"  
  
"thanks, buddy"  
  
"So whats it like, workig wth the Big Man"

 

Rhys sort of anticipated this question would eventually come up. He and Vaughn didn't really have time to hang out and talk anymore, so they had a lot to discuss every time they _did_ talk.

And he decided that focusing on the positive aspects of working with Handsome Jack would be a better strategy. People (and especially Vaughn) didn’t have to know about the darker things going around in Hyperion. Especially darker, murderous things.

  
  
"not bad tbh? like I thought it would be much harder but he's actually so great"

  
  
"Oh really"- Vaughn didn't seem to be too impressed, so Rhys tried harder.   
  
"yeah he's got so many tips and advices and he really guides me through"  
  
"Do tell more"  
  
"he's really funny when he makes fun of other people (u know, other than me) and like he's tough but reasonably tough"  
  
"I am so immersed in this its unneliavbale"  
  
"first of all, what the fuck is that last word. second, fuck u and ur sarcasm"  
  
"Ur mancrush on Jack iznt even finny anymore"  
  
"fuck off dude"  
  
Rhys put his cybernetic arm down, staring off into the ceiling for a moment. _Man crush, huh..._

If only Vaughn knew how much of a crush it really was. Maybe it’s for the best he didn’t.

  
  
Three sound alerts in a row prompted him to look at his screen again.

  
"You know I live you"  
  
"*Love"  
  
"But I live you too（＾_＾）"  
  
Rhys smiled - Vaughn really was his greatest friend in this universe.  
  
"live you too, bro"- He replied, turning off his Echocom.

  
  
He was tired, and this was enough social interaction for the day.  
  
Rhys pulled down his pants and took off his shirt, hoping to fall asleep the moment his head hit the pillow... 

  
  
Except he couldn't.

  
  
He slept way too well in the office - now he couldn't even do as much as close his eyes. _Dammit._  
  
Thoughts were racing through his head - doubts and ideas, and plus the whole chat with Vaughn made him remember Fiona and Sasha and Gortys and LB- he was still worried sick to his stomach.

  
  
At this rate, he was going to be exhausted again tomorrow.  
  
He needed to tire himself out, somehow.  
  
  
And that damn calendar was the first thing that caught his attention.

It was lying on the floor, just under his bed, but not quite, the corner of it peeking out, practically mocking Rhys.

  
Ugh, _no_. Not again.

  
Back when he was on Pandora, listening to one of Jack’s endless rambles, he swore to himself that he would never masturbate to Jack again, ever. Last night didn't count because he was exhausted and wasn't thinking straight and didn't have anything even remotely sexual in months.

Fine, maybe weeks.  


Still, it was sorta justifiable.  


Now, doing _that_ two days in a row? That's just perverted.  
  
Jack was his business partner/mentor/sorta-still-boss.

 

Moreover, he was a huge nuisance.

  
  
Rhys couldn't make a habit out of this.

  
  
So was this a bad idea? _Yes._  
  
Was he going to be embarrassed and disgusted with himself in the morning if he did it? _Yes._  
  
Was he never going to be able to forgive himself and look Jack in the eye ever again if he did it right here right now? _Definitely yes._  
  
  
Was he still going to do it?  
  
  
...Yeah, yeah he was.  
  
  
Rhys snatched the calendar from under the bed, already sneaking a hand beneath his boxers.  
  
It was going to be quick, it was going to be dirty, he was going to exhaust himself, and he was going to fall asleep and regret every choice he’s ever made when he woke up.

  
  
A summary of his life right there.

  
  
Quickly tugging off his boxers and disregarding them on the floor, Rhys dabbed on some lube onto his hand, flipping through the pages to August- and _wow,_ this was a nice spread.  
  
Jack was wet in that one, completely drenched in water from the showerhead above him. He was wearing a white unbuttoned shirt, which was hungrily clinging to his well-defined muscles. His hair, despite being wet and hanging in front of his eyes, was still as perfect as ever.  
  
Jack had both his hands behind his head, stretching out his body, a pose so natural and gorgeous Rhys had to swallow down, his throat suddenly dry. His neck was long and perfect in every single way, his collarbones popping out making his body look sharper. Only the top half of Jack's body was shown, the lower half cut off right at the end of his abdomen. And still, Rhys’s cock was already half hard - he just had to add a bit more fantasy into this one.

 

Rhys was slowly moving his hand up and down, steadying the pace, that tingling warm sensation pulling at his stomach and in his groin. He was getting in the mood now.

  
  
Okay, so what would this August spread Jack say to him..?

  
  
Rhys closed his eyes, throwing his head back, imagining Jack’s voice as best as he could, and-

  
  
"Wow, you sure are a freak, kiddo,"- He said, loud and clear, his voice resonating, filling up the tiny room, calm and mocking, and so _unlike_ what Rhys would usually imagine- Wait.

 

W-Wait, shit-

 

_WHAT-_

  
Rhys's eyes snapped open, only to be met with Jack's blue, holographic back. He was leaning over, his nose practically pressed into Rhys's poster wall, scrutinizing every detail.  
  
And Rhys was going to have a heart attack.

  
  
The only thing he managed to do in his frenzied panic was quickly throw his blanket over his legs. His entire body froze then, and he was holding so hard onto his own cock it was painful. 

 

 _Shit,_ it also felt so fucking good-  


"What the _actual fuck_ , Jack!?"- He squealed, not caring much for appearances right now.

  
  
_How the fuck did he even-  
  
  
_

"Your apartment is _everything_ I ever imagined it to be, really,"- Jack continued, not turning to face him, -"Super small, pretty tacky. Seriously, though, these posters- man, these posters are a _treasure_ \- Ooh, I look good in this one!"  
  
"How did you-"  
  
"Plugged myself into your port while you were asleep in the office,"- Jack chuckled, finally turning to look at Rhys, -"Let this be a lesson to you, kiddo – Never let your guard down, ever."

  
  
Thank god the lights were turned off, because Rhys was glowing red right now.

  
  
Jack just continued looking at him with that weird expression and- _oh god, how much did he see-?_  
  
"Oh man, now what are _those?"_ \- Jack's attention shifted to the posters above his bed, and he flew up, looking them all over, -"Rhysie, baby, these ones are even _better!_ And here I thought you couldn't get creepier!"

  
Of course, the insults made Rhys feel embarrassed to hell and back, but honestly, he couldn't be more relieved by the fact that Jack didn't seem to realize just _what_ he was doing a minute ago. He could breathe freely for now, even though his cock was painfully hard from all the adrenaline.

  
"Woah, I forgot I even took this one. Not my favorite, gotta say, but hey, it seems to do it for ya,"- Jack kept commenting as he moved along the posters, passing straight through Rhys. Rhys could swear he felt that, but it might be due to his heightened senses and extreme paranoia. Nevertheless, he shivered, and his cock twitched in anticipation.

  
Yeah, thinking of his naked grandma wasn't gonna fix this one.  


"Oh, Rhysie, Rhysie,"- Jack laughed, looking at a magazine cutout, -"If only I always knew you were such a huge fan. I would've at least given you an autograph!"  
  
Rhys continued to stay silent, praying Jack would just _\- go away_. Disappear, or die again, or literally a _nything_ but be in the same room as him.

  
  
Jack, finally satisfied with the posters, flew over to Rhys's desk, and stood leaning against it. He crossed his arms over his chest and shook his head, chuckling.

  
"Really, baby, that is... That is something. You're sick."

  
  
Rhys just swallowed down hard.  
  
Jack was now watching him, observing, his eyes tracing over Rhys's features. He was clearly starting to suspect something, but _fuck_ , Rhys has never been more aroused in his entire life.

  
  
"What, cat got your tongue? Or are you just ignoring me again?"- Jack floated closer, leaning over Rhys, -"You can't stay mad forever, cupcake. I told you this was gonna happen sooner or later."  
  
Jack's tone had Rhys in a puddle, and he was at the end of his resolve, trying his best not to give in and start moving under the sheets.  
  
Jack seemed to come even closer now, carefully observing Rhys's body, then noticing the disregarded boxers on the floor -"Huh, didn't know you slept in the nude."

He sounded so unimpressed, so damn _uninterested_ , that it actually kinda hurt. Rhys was humiliated, disgusted - he just hated himself so much for feeling so damn disappointed by Jack's tone just then, as though he could've ever expected anything other than this.  


Even if he was in the nude, it wasn't like Jack would ever be interested in him, ever. And it wasn’t like he even wanted him to be.

 

. _.Right?_

  
  
He was about to say something, anything, probably something he was going to regret, but he just had to fill this damn silence, and then-

  
  
"No. _Way_ ,"- Jack's eyes shifted to the right, and he was looking at the calendar – that _damn fucking calendar_ , still spread out in the open on the side of the bed, there for everyone to see, -"Wo-ho- _ho_ , pumpkin', so you ARE a pervert!"  
  
He said it with such victory in his voice, such satisfaction, as though he just won the lottery. Rhys pressed down on his cock harder, hoping that pain would at least make this moment any less... whatever it even was.

 

“Ya never fail to impress me, Rhysie-”

 

His worst nightmare coming to life right in front of his eyes, that’s what. He felt like throwing up.

  
  
Jack stared at that spread, laughing and shaking his head, -"Really, kid? I mean, only two hundred copies were released- How the hell did you even manage to get- And, And what the hell are those stain-"

  
  
It hit him.

 

_It finally fucking hit him._

  
  
Jack abruptly stopped talking, his mouth hanging open. He then looked over to Rhys who was still cowering behind the blanket, cocking an eyebrow in question. He slowly shifted his eyes back to the calendar, and Rhys could swear he just heard it _click_ in his head.

  
Jack went completely silent, staring Rhys up and down for a second.

  
Rhys's breathing accelerated ten times, his hands shook beneath the blanket and his feet went cold, the anticipation of what was about to happen next killing him from the inside. Jack’s gaze was burning hot on his skin, and Rhys swore he could see black dots swimming in his vision. He was about to fucking pass out. 

  
  
"Rhysie..."- Jack began, his eyebrows furrowing, his expression becoming something unreadable, -"Remove that blanket. _Now_."  


Rhys's heart was now beating painfully fast in his chest, and he swallowed down hard. He just couldn't fucking move, whether he wanted to or not. He felt numb under that paralyzing glare, and the only thing reacting was his cock, painfully pulsating in his wet hand, already leaking precum.

  
  
Jack didn't say anything else- he just continued staring at Rhys.

 

And then Rhys felt himself lose control of his right arm.

 

  
  
Before he knew it, Jack was pulling off the blanket in one swift motion, throwing it on the floor using Rhys's own hand.

 

But as soon as it was off and Rhys was exposed, his arm was his own once more - although that was little conciliation.

  
  
He was now fully, completely and _absolutely_ naked in front of Handsome friggin’ Jack, his cock fully erect, having obviously been masturbating to the pictures of the man standing before him. Rhys could only draw his shaky legs together, pressing down on his cock tightly with his hand. There was no fucking way of making this situation any less humiliating.

  
  
He was prepared for the worst- Well, not prepared, because literally nothing in the world could prepare you for that. But he was certainly expecting it.

He expected Jack to be mad - expected Jack to make fun of him, to point and laugh, to be disgusted and sneer and maybe even punch him in the face with his own arm-

  
  
What he wasn't expecting was this silence.

 

It seemed that he finally managed to render Handsome Jack speechless.

 

 

But honestly, if this is what it took, it wasn't worth it.

 

Maybe all that time he spent wishing Jack would just shut up was finally biting him in the ass.

  
  
The silence stretched on for what felt like _hours,_ and Rhys realized that anger, mockery, or disgust would all have been much better alternatives to this. It was just- _nothing_. Just Jack staring at his cock, unmoving, unspeaking.

 

Rhys’s hands were still shaking.

  
Finally, _finally_ , Jack seemed to snap out of it, his eyes shifting from Rhys's cock to meet his eyes. Rhys didn't know what to expect anymore, and yet he still nearly choked when he heard Jack speak.  
  
  
"You- Uh- You, um, need help with… that..?"- Jack sputtered, his voice shaky and unsteady, so unlike his usual confidence and poise. He sounded as though he was holding his breath all this time, swallowing down hard after saying those words.

  
  
Rhys, despite all his best efforts to reply, only managed to give an undignified squeak in response, his cock giving an appreciative twitch.

  
  
Jack was- really was- _embarrassed!?_

  
  
Better yet he was- offering-

_Wha-_

  
  
Rhys thought this whole thing might have just been a weird fever dream of his, but Jack was acting so much unlike himself, Rhys couldn't possibly have imagined this even if he tried.

  
  
"Um, can I, uh, take that as a… yes?"- He asked again, taking a small step forward. He was a little more collected now, but there was still this weird air of uncertainty around him- something Rhys seriously wasn't used to when it came to Jack.

  
  
"Y-Yeah,"- He finally managed to breathe out, nodding, low, needy and pathetic, but Jack didn't seem to care. He was beside him in a moment, possessing his cybernetic arm, wiggling his fingers, uncertainly tracing the inside of his thigh.

 

Jack had this look about him, like he was doing something really important, something really fascinating. He was concentrating so hard, the rest of the world seemed to disappear. He pressed Rhys’s metallic fingers into his thigh, and Rhys shuddered, gasping loudly.

  
  
Sure, Rhys used his arm for this before, but now it wasn't Rhys. _It was Jack._

 

And _holy fucking shit_ , he was about to come from that thought alone.

  
  
This was really, _truly_ happening.

  
  
"You're a real weirdo, kid,"- Jack whispered with a small smirk on his face, fully immersed in circling the inside of Rhys's thigh. The way he said it, it sounded almost like a complement. Rhys was just glad he was back to being himself.   


He moved Rhys's hand higher now, to his groin, slowly tracing his abdomen, his hip.  


"Move that hand, Rhysie, it's in the way,"- Jack ordered, demanding but soft, and Rhys did as he was told almost without hesitation. His cock felt cold, suddenly relieved all that pressure, but Jack was soon bringing his arm over to it, its metallic touch rough and awkward, yet so _perfect_.

  
  
Rhys sharply breathed in as Jack was now grabbing at his balls, massaging them in his own hand. This was _definitely_ weird, especially seeing how much Jack seemed to know exactly what he was doing.

Using his other hand, Rhys supported himself against the bed, feeling as though he might fall over any second.

  
And then Jack was suddenly sitting behind him, his holographic legs on both side of Rhys’s, his own arm passing right through Rhys's cybernetic limb, moving completely in sync.

Rhys felt even more on edge now- it was truly Jack pressing his thumb to his slit, and it was truly Jack teasing his head between his fingers.

  
Rhys threw his head back, panting unapologetically loud.

 

Fuck appearances, fuck what Jack must think of him – this was _happening_ , and he was going to enjoy _the hell_ out of it.

  
  
"That's right, baby, let it go,"- Jack purred in his ear, becoming more like the Jack Rhys has always imagined. Only Jack was _real_ , and he was _really here_ , and he was now jacking Rhys off-  
  
"Mnnf- Ja-,"- Rhys moaned loudly when Jack pressed the palm of his hand to his balls, his other hand entangling the bed sheets.  
  
"Heh, you're a screamer,"- Jack chuckled, low and hearty, and so full of life, Rhys forgot he was a hologram for a second.

 

In this moment, Jack was as real as Rhys.  


They remained this way for a while, Rhys feeling himself coming closer with every move Jack made. Jack kept whispering little nothings into his ear, some of them mocking, but most just encouraging, mixed with a whole new array of pet names.

 

He was so damn good at this, Rhys kept forgetting to breathe.

  
  
"Hey, Rhysie? Would you do something for me, baby?"- Jack then asked softly, almost too considerate, too gentle.  
  
"H-Hm?"- Was the only thing Rhys could manage, his vision swimming.  
  
"Could you take over for me, babydoll? I want to watch you. I wanna see you cum."

  
  
Rhys moaned loudly at that, his cock becoming too tight to bear it. He bit his lower lip and held it together for now, because fucking _hell_ , Jack wanted to watch him, and how the fuck does he say no to that!?  
  
He gave a firm nod, not trusting himself to speak properly, and felt himself regain control of his arm. Jack was back against the desk now, standing with his arms crossed, watching him intently.  
  
He wasn't smiling or smirking, just observing with those hungry eyes- or was it just Rhys's imagination?  
  
In any case, Rhys gave himself an experimental pull, never taking his eyes off of Jack, and he could swear he saw him sharply breathe in.

"Now, Rhysie, why don't you do me another favor?"- Jack whispered, his voice throaty and hoarse, licking his lips in response to Rhys's groan, -"Finger yourself with you other hand. Trust me, baby, you'll love it."  
  
Rhys didn't even begin to question it- he just poured as much lube as he could put with one hand onto his fingers, never letting go of his cock, not caring about the bed sheets, or anything else in the world for that matter.  
  
He was probing at his entrance with his middle finger, when Jack gave an appreciative nod, and Rhys pushed it in.  
  
It wasn't his first time for sure, but it felt like it was. With Jack biting at his lower lip while looking at him like that, Rhys was driven insane.  
  
He started moving faster, adding another finger almost too soon, and it was uncomfortable and tight and disgusting, and he knew he looked like a complete ugly mess right now, but Jack looked at him as though he was the most beautiful thing he's ever seen, and that made Rhys forget his own name.  
  
Jack's eyes were moving up and down his body, observing his every move, moan, and pant, every twitch of his cock and every roll of his eyes.

  
  
"That's right, baby boy,"- He whispered, as Rhys was about to lose all his shit, -"Come for daddy."

  
  
Rhys couldn't take it anymore.

  
  
Pleasure came in waves- he orgasmed loudly, screaming Jack's name, then biting his lower lip so hard it bled.

 

He collapsed on the bed, unable to do anything else, unwilling to move or open his eyes. His body went limp, feeling completely empty.

  
  
"Good boy, Rhysie,"- Was the last thing Rhys could register before he was consumed by blackness.

  
  
  
That, and the light phantom touch pressing up against his body.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> some of y'all: jack's too ooc! he wouldn't have stuttered! he's a sex god!  
> me: [calmly redirects u to this post](http://saipng.tumblr.com/post/143947224497/handsomejackass-handsome-jack-constantly)
> 
> jack is a poser and everyone knows it


	8. Chapter 8

Rhys woke up with a scream.

 

Well, it wasn’t that he was actually physically yelling, but he was certainly screaming internally. Especially once he realized that what had happened really wasn’t just another dream of his – the disregarded blanket on the floor and the abundance of lube on his bed were enough proof.

 

That was when he started contemplating his existence, and whether there was literally any way of making his situation any less dreadful.

 

Well, death was always an option.

 

But no, not yet, he had too much to live for. How about running away to another station, having plastic surgery and changing his name so that no one would recognize him, ever?

 

Nah, he’s got too much dignity for that.

 

Or, well, he _had_ too much dignity for that, but all of it was pretty much stripped off of him last night.

 

And last night…

_Shit,_ it was the greatest night of his entire life.

 

And he fucking _hated_ it.

 

Yesterday was everything he could have ever hoped for and _more_ , but he never wanted it to happen.  No, wait, of course he _wanted_ it, but only on some deep, perverted level that should’ve never surfaced to reality. It wasn’t something that _needed_ to happen.

 

In other words, it was a huge mistake.

 

And, _fuck_ , it hurt to admit it.

 

He didn’t want to be thinking like that. He didn’t want _Jack_ to be thinking like that.

But this was the reality of it, and they both had to face it sooner or later.

 

Rhys sighed, slapping a pillow over his head. Maybe he could just stay in today and lie down on bed and sob uncontrollably about how much his life sucked…

 

No, no, wait- _shit_ \- Jack was still in his head, wasn’t he?

 

He could literally appear any moment and make things even more unbearable. Or crush the remains of Rhys’s pride, or-

 

Rhys didn’t want to think about it.

 

He got up, stretching out his body.

It was stiff, but at least his lower back didn’t hurt, which was honestly the best thing about this morning. He promptly proceeded to throw the calendar (that somehow ended up on the floor) into the trash can, never to be seen again. Fuck all the money he spent on it.

 

He needed a shower, and he needed it _bad_ \- but the thought of Jack appearing just then and there was- Ugh, he wasn’t gonna lie, it was really fucking arousing.

But he had to fucking _focus_ , because he couldn’t allow himself to be violated like this any longer.

 

Not that he even was violated. He did give Jack his explicit permission…  But that didn’t make him feel any better.

 

Once again, Rhys was contemplating staying inside and sleeping the whole day through. Maybe not releasing Jack back into the system would be a way of revenge… He didn’t know what for, exactly, but it would sure annoy the hell out of him, and that would be worth something.

But… No, between having Jack back in the system or being once again the only person to see and hear Jack, it was obvious which one was the saner option. That way, Jack could at least hopefully find some other poor soul to torment besides Rhys.

So, quickest shower he ever had, and then back to work.

 

His life was just getting better and better, wasn’t it…

 

 • • • •

 

Upon entering the office, Rhys practically ran to his chair, his hands shaking ever so slightly when he plugged the drive into his port. When he felt that Jack’s AI had completely and fully left his head, he unplugged the device and dropped down, defeated.

Jack wasn’t there all morning, and he still wasn’t there now.

For some reason, it was making Rhys feel even worse than if he had been there. Maybe he really was thinking it was a mistake…

 

Maybe he never wanted to see Rhys again.

 

Ugh, so _what_.

 

Rhys didn’t care. He never wanted to see Jack again either.

 

Plus, he had work to do.

 

_Focus._

 

The reports Rhys had on his table mainly consisted of a bunch of descriptions of what was going on in the company ever since Jack died, and most of them just required his signature to acknowledge that he did, in fact, read them. He stopped actually trying to read them after the fifth one, realizing that quickly scribbling his signature at the bottom of the paper was way easier than going through all ten pages of one report.

 

It was boring, but hey, this was all he ever wanted, right?

 

In fact, it was so boring that his brain kept wondering to last night, recalling Jack’s every move, his every sigh, his every word.

 

_“Yeah, baby, just like that…”- Jack would say when Rhys gave a particularly loud moan, arching his back, needy and impatient, -“You like this, don’t you, princess?”_

_Rhys would move then, try to do something, anything with his other hand – he wanted more, he NEEDED more, and Jack was going so painfully slow it was unbearable. Jack just laughed, purring into his ear, -“Heh, just relax, baby boy. Let daddy do all the work for ya…”_

 

Rhys’s eyes snapped open when he realized he was practically moaning again, his lips suddenly drier than the deserts of Pandora. This wasn’t healthy.

 

He had to concentrate on his work, and not on Jack’s hot, gentle touches- _WORK._

 

Rhys buried his head in reports, trying his hardest to read every word, but he didn’t take any of them in. He was trying way too hard to keep his brain blank - it was difficult to think about anything at all. At least time seemed to move faster when he was in this state.

 

It was about an hour or two later when Jack finally showed up. Rhys was so deep in reports (which he wasn’t even halfway through) he didn’t notice the monitor screen lowering above his head.

“Hey there, cupcake, got a new report for ya,”- Jack said, making Rhys jump nearly to the ceiling, scattering a few papers he was reading across the floor. Jack didn’t comment on that, just raised his eyebrow, -“This one needs to be signed ASAP, so go over it quickly, m’kay?”

The report was already printing out on the other side of the room, and Rhys was walking over to collect it, his knees shaking only a little at Jack’s voice.

 

Jack… didn’t appear to be any different. He was just as bossy and demanding, called him the same pet names as ever. It’s as though nothing happened – and Rhys didn’t know whether he was delighted or wanted to curl up in a ball on the floor and never move again.

 

“Why are we even wasting so much paper…”- He muttered under his breath, looking at the 20 pages of ink that he had to read, trying to distract himself from thinking. He also realized that, at this point, he _really_ hated reading.

“Bureaucracy, kid. I tried to make everything computerized, but, unfortunately, some freaking bandits decided to off me before I could save nature,”- Jack answered, paying more attention to his nails than to Rhys, -”Well, it’s all recycled anyway, not that anyone gives a crap.”

 

Plopping down the report on his table, Rhys sighed, his eyes hurting from the abundance of black words on white paper. He ran his metallic hand over it, scrunching up his nose, trying his best not to look at Jack, or think about Jack, or _anything_ Jack.

 

They were work partners, and their relationship was strictly professional. That’s the end of that.

 

“I have to read it _all_?”

“Just like every other report,”- Jack answered, finally turning to face him, with his hands on his hips, -“Look, I gotta go, kid. Catch ya later, ‘kay?”

 

Rhys felt his heart drop at those words, his fists clenched. A mixture of anger, disappointment, hurt, regret, and anything and everything he could’ve felt at that moment swirled up in his stomach, making him feel like throwing up.

Jack was about to disappear, when Rhys stopped him, -“So we’re just pretending nothing happened then, huh?”

His voice was quiet and shaky, his words unsteady, and, frankly speaking, pathetic. He didn’t mean to say that – hell, he didn’t mean to say anything. He wanted Jack to leave, maybe come back in another hour with another report, and that’s that. Interacting with him like that would be perfect, their conversation wasn’t awkward at all - so why the _hell_ did Rhys have to ruin everything with his big mouth!?

 

“Pardon?”

 

“You and I,”- Rhys continued, his own brain yelling at his mouth to stop talking, -“We- We’re just pretending last night wasn’t a thing, right? Am I reading the situation correctly?”

“What are you on about, kid?

“Forget it,”- Rhys sighed, dropping down on his chair. If that’s what Jack wanted, maybe it was for the best. After all, their professional relationship wouldn’t be damaged this way. Besides-

 

“Is this about me helping you jack off to my sexy calendar pics?”- Jack suddenly said, making Rhys choke on his own saliva, -“Ha! Get it? ‘ _Jack off’_?”

 

“Ugh, _stop saying that_ ,”- Rhys plead, throwing his head into his hands. So they _weren’t_ ignoring the situation then.

 

Great.

 

“What’s the matter, cupcake? Not a big fan of puns?”

“It’s not about the damn- _Argh_ , listen, just- Just forget about it, okay!?”

 

Rhys didn’t know what he expected to happen, but then again, he never knew what to expect with Jack. He was unreadable - it was impossible to get closer to him.

And maybe that’s the way it should be.

 

Jack took a moment to look at Rhys, cocking one of his eyebrows, and twisting his mouth in disdain. He then sighed heavily, lowering the monitor so that it would be closer to Rhys’s face.

“Look here, baby,”- He began, and Rhys shuddered at the pet name. _Dammit_ , -“I don’t get what the big deal is. I enjoyed last night, and you looked like you were having a helluva good time, so what’re you getting your panties in a bunch for?”

 

Rhys slowly raised his head, blinking a couple of times to focus his vision. Something akin to butterflies fluttered in his stomach then, and that both scared and made him smile.

 

Jack was… Really close to him now.

 

“You… enjoyed it?”

“Hell yeah!”- Jack laughed, shaking his head, -“You should’ve seen yourself, babydoll, you looked so damn-“

 

“Ahem,”- Jack’s voice was interrupted by a cough coming from the other side of the room, making both men turn their heads.

 

Rhys immediately jumped from his chair, pushing Jack’s monitor out of the way, only to reveal a meek looking Vaughn waving at him with an awkward smile on his face.

 

“Va-Vaughn!”- Rhys yelled, running around his desk to face his friend. He distinctly remembered Jack telling him that only the two of them would be able to access the office,  -“H-How did you get here?”

“Jack gave me exclusive access today morning,”- Vaughn told him, looking over Rhys’s shoulder to wave at Jack, who winked at him in return.

 

Rhys suddenly felt like he missed something VERY important, because  _since when was his best friend all buddy-buddy with Handsome friggin’ Jack!?_

 

After blinking away the shock of whatever the hell _that_ was, Rhys walked back to his desk, pressing a button to retrieve all the monitors in the room. Jack was about to protest, but he was already retreated into the ceiling. He didn’t try to come back.

 

“So, uh, babydoll?”- Vaughn asked, laughing awkwardly, -“Uh, is it just me or Jack’s pet names are getting kinda-“

“Ye-Yeah, Vaughn, just what’re you here for?”- Rhys mumbled, pinching the bridge of his nose. He was praying to all gods out there that that embarrassing name was the only thing Vaughn heard, -“I have a helluva lot to do, so be quick, please?”

“Um, yeah, sure, sorry.”

 

Vaughn fumbled with his tie then, taking his time to quickly look around the office. There was suddenly a pregnant pause between them, and Rhys felt his stomach tie into a knot. He didn’t have the best feeling about this…

 

“I, well, I was actually just wondering where did Yvette go? Since, you know, I’ve been trying to find her for the last two weeks and…“

 

It was almost nauseating how fast the color drained from Rhys’s face.

_Shit._

 

He completely forgot about her- 

 

And he never did tell Vaughn, did he?

_Shit shit shit shit shit-_

“Rhys?”- The smaller man looked at him in concern, noticing the pained expression on his face, -“You okay, bro?”

 

What should he say? What _could_ he say?

 

“Uh, haha, funny story, Vaughn-“- He began, already mentally slapping himself for saying ‘funny’, -“Mm, so, you- uh, you know Vasquez, right? The big bad guy that tried to kill us?”

 

“Yeah..? He’s dead, Rhys. What does this have to do with-“

 

“Well! The thing is- it just oh-so happens that Yvette kinda, sorta made a deal with him, and was practically sending him out there to kill us this whole time. Funny, huh? “- This time, Rhys had to physically restrain his hand from rising up and punching him in the face. There was literally _nothing_ funny about it.

There was another pause where Vaughn slowly processed what he just heard- and then his eyes doubled in size, his mouth opening and closing in disbelief, no sound coming out.  Rhys couldn’t blame him – his reaction was practically the same.

“She- uh, wh-wh-what?”- He finally managed to stutter out, shaking his head slightly, -“You’re kidding me, right? You have to be joking? Rhys? Tell me it’s all a big joke!?”

 

The distress on Vaughn’s face was almost painful, his voice shook so much Rhys thought he was going to cry.

“This isn’t happening – this _cannot_ be happening!”- Vaughn quickly made his way over to Rhys’s desk, looking into his face as if trying to find some indication that this all really was just a big, unfunny joke.

 

Rhys wished so too.

 

And this wasn’t even the most painful part of the story.

 

“Where is she now, Rhys? I want to see her. I want to speak with her-!”

“Yeah, about that…”- Rhys ran a hand through his hair, scratching at the base of his neck. It was so fucking difficult to say it, -“Well… You see… She… I, uh- I-“

 

“Imprisoned her down in the holding cells for the last few weeks,”- Jack’s screen silently appeared behind Rhys, depicting the man standing with his back to the pair, inspecting his nails, as though completely and utterly uninterested in what was going on. Rhys spun his head to look at him in shock.

 

The bastard was listening to their every single word.

 

“JACK-”

 

“You did _what!?”_

 

Rhys turned around to face Vaughn again, only to watch his eyes grow, his mouth drop open in surprise. Vaughn took a small step backwards, and all sorts of alarm bells went off in Rhys’s head.

 

“N-No, no, no, no, no! You got it all wrong!”- He waved his hands in front of him, panic rising in his stomach, -“I-I mean, yeah, I did- I did, uh… I did _that,_ but I-I-I-I had every reason to!”

“Every reason to _imprison_ your best friend!?”- Vaughn took another step back.

“No, Vaughn, listen to me, I- I could’ve done so much worse, right? I just-“- Rhys couldn’t believe it.

 

He couldn’t believe what he was seeing – and that was the complete and utter look of fear on his best friend’s face. A look directed at _him_.

 

No, this was _wrong._ Friends don’t look at each other like that- hell, no one should look at _anyone_ like that.

 

“Listen, Vaughn, I- I did what I had to do, okay!? Fiona and Sasha threw Yvette and a couple of guards into the prison cells, and I saw Yvette in there and I- I just never let her out after. How could I!? I just- I just remembered how she sent down Vasquez with a gun instead of supplies we desperately needed and-“

 

“What if she didn’t mean it, Rhys!?”- Vaughn suddenly shouted, his voice cracking, -“ _I_ made a deal with Vasquez, but I was never going to go through with it! What, are you now going t-to throw-“

“Vaughn, no- Oh my god, don’t say that! I would never- How could you even-“

“Yvette is as much of your friend as I am-!”

“SHE BETRAYED US, VAUGHN,”- Rhys finally snapped, raising his voice as much as he could, the effect amplified by the echo. Vaughn flinched, and Rhys immediately regretted everything he’s ever done in his life.

 

He swallowed hard, crossing his arms to keep them from shaking, and leaned back on the desk to prevent his knees from giving in. He couldn’t look Vaughn in the eye anymore, so he just stared into the floor, hoping it would open and swallow him whole. He could see in the polished reflection that he monitor Jack was on was now turned off.

“Listen, she… You haven’t seen her. You haven’t seen the way she behaved with Vasquez- with me, disguised as Vasquez. The tone of her voice when she accused him of not killing me, how truly _hateful_ she was when he didn’t follow through with their deal… You haven’t seen the _true_ her, Vaughn.”

 

It was silent between them for a while. Even Jack didn’t bother butting in this time. Maybe he actually got bored, but Rhys doubted that. He knew he was listening.

 

Vaughn took a deep breath, lowering his head to look at the floor instead of Rhys.

 

“Did you even…”- He broke the silence with a barely audible whisper, exhausted from everything that happened. Rhys could relate, -“Did you even give her a chance to explain herself? Did you actually talk to her before locking her away?”

Rhys sighed, running a hand through his hair. God, he wished this conversation would be over.

“She tried to sell me some bullshit about how she wanted to keep me alive when the management got to my head. But all I could see when I looked at her was Vasquez pointing his gun in our faces. All I could see was you, digging your own grave.”

Vaughn nodded solemnly. They finally made eye contact, exchanging something unsaid, yet meaningful.

“Hehe, I guess I better stay on your good side, then, right?”- Vaughn tried to joke, a bitter smile on his face, but Rhys only frowned more.

“I’m just… I’m just so tired of all the lies and betrayal, y’know?”- He said, his chest heavy, -“Ever since this whole thing started there hasn’t been a single person that hasn’t lied or betrayed me.”

“I would never betray you, bro,”- Vaughn finally seemed to cheer up a little, walking up to Rhys again and placing a hand on his shoulder. Rhys gave his best friend a tight hug, saying nothing.

 

It was going to be okay, after all.

 

Vaughn left after a short while, after he was done describing all his new duties and how much he enjoyed having power over people. He also mentioned suddenly having far less accountants around than he remembered. Rhys refrained from mentioning Jack’s involvement in this.

They chatted, avoiding mentioning anything uncomfortable, until Rhys finally realized he had to return to work.

 

As soon as the doors closed behind Vaughn, he heard the quiet lowering of the monitor behind his back.

 

Before he could even open his mouth to speak, Jack was talking, -“Except for me, cupcake.”

 

“Excuse me?”- Rhys turned around to face the man, hands on hips, expecting to see a cocky smirk or a bored glare. Instead, he…

Rhys really couldn’t pinpoint Jack’s expression. It was a look that didn’t belong on that masked face of his, made him really uncomfortable, yet had his stomach flutter at the same time. Jack was looking at him and only him, hints of smile grazing the corners of his lips, his eyes lidded, his expression soft and sincere.

Rhys’s hands dropped to his sides. He was suddenly reminded of the time Jack called him ‘his special boy’, and that made him swallow down hard. One might’ve even called that expression caring, but Rhys knew better than that.

 

It was Jack, after all.

 

“What do you mean?”- He tried again, receiving no reply to his first question.

“You said there hasn’t been a single person who hasn’t betrayed you. Well, I’m saying – except for me.”

Rhys immediately  tried to refute, ransacked his brain trying to remember the instance when Jack betrayed him or at the very least turned against him, because he knew there had to be _something_ , there simply had to-

 

But there wasn’t.

 

Jack might’ve murdered a hell of a lot of people, shot at his friends, and has been an annoying ass in general… But…

 

“You never betrayed me, did you?”- Rhys exhaled, suddenly a little overwhelmed. That… was too crazy to be true.

 

Hell, Jack even _apologized_ for shooting at his friends.

 

“That’s right, dollface,”- Jack’s smile widened, something glistening in his eyes, -“Even your little buddy kept things from you.”

Rhys furrowed his eyebrows, sitting down in the incredibly comfortable chair, -“So we’re just going to ignore you giving me an unloaded gun?”

“Please, sweetheart, I didn’t give you that gun and you know it. I had no idea it wasn’t loaded. I don’t have a body, remember?”

“B-But you said-“

“I said I didn’t do it on purpose. I ordered some incompetent monkey to give you a gun and they didn’t even have half a brain to load it. You can’t blame me here.”

Rhys shook his head, still skeptical, -“Then what about you leaving me to rot on Pandora?”

“Well, cupcake, believe it or not, the entire moonshot sector really wasn’t working for the past couple of days. If you actually bothered to _read_ those reports on your table, you would’ve known,”- Jack gave him an unimpressed look then, making Rhys shift in his chair, -“Once it was fixed, I was told by the main engineers not to send out any shuttles or anything else for another week or so while they run tests. Your little freakishly buff friend annoyed me into sending a shuttle anyway, despite, y’know, the risk of you blowing up in space or whatever.”

 

Oh, _come on._

Is that why the ride back was so freaking bumpy!?

 

That could not possibly be true. And yet, a quick glance over the files (that Rhys really didn’t bother reading) told him it was. Jack really wasn’t lying.

 

He just made it look like he was.

 

“Why bother, then? Why all the secrecy? Why did you make it look like you wanted me dead!?”- Those were probably all the questions Rhys should've asked way earlier, but better late than never. It annoyed him how much Jack wanted to look like an asshole, when he actually was… A decent person? Disregarding the bloodlust and hunger for power, that is.

 

Hell, even when he killed, he killed bad people.

 

“I was just messing with ya, babydoll. Always fun to keep you paranoid and on your toes,”- Jack gave him a flashy grin, and Rhys felt like punching the monitor for the billionth time. He really was a complete fucking asshole, -“Really though, pumpkin, I never betrayed you when it mattered. The whole deal with the Gortys and the Vault and whatnot? Didn’t even mess with ya.”

 

Rhys had to evaluate that for a while.

 

Jack helped them survive when those Atlas robots turned against them, helped him surpass Helios security, got them into his office- he even fucking kept his promise of sharing Hyperion with Rhys. 

“I always look out for my team,”- Jack once told him, when they were sitting on the roof of the caravan, driving over to retrieve the second Gortys piece.

 

He didn’t lie, did he…

 

Rhys’s mind momentarily wandered, and he was thinking about Fiona, Sasha, Gortys, and LB. The way things ended... He needed to finally find them, and he needed to find them soon.

 

“Now, Mr. President, are you going to sign that report or not?”- Jack brought him back to reality, and Rhys suddenly realized he wasted way more time than initially anticipated. His report signing process was now going to be waaaay slower, considering he vowed to read each and every single one of them, including the ones he already signed. Couldn’t risk skipping over any more vital information.

“Yeah, gimme a moment to check it out,”- He mumbled, grabbing his pen. Rhys opened the first page to read the title - ”Helios Business Valuation Report”. Well, this was going to be _exciting_ , wasn’t it.

 

“ _Wow_ , you’re a slow reader, kid,”- Jack said after quite literally a minute of silence, -“Oh well, it’s a skill. Gonna be reading a page in under 30 seconds once you get enough practice.”

 

Rhys anticipated that day more than he anticipated the birth of his first child.

 

“Anyway, babydoll, send it over to management once you’re done, m’kay? Daddy’s got stuff to do.”

“Ohhhh my _god,_  will you PLEASE stop calling yourself that!?”- Rhys felt his cheeks burning, and had to hide his face in his hands to prevent Jack from seeing his embarrassment.

“Oh? But you didn’t have a problem with it yesterday, now didja?”- Jack laughed loudly as Rhys groaned, banging his head on the desk. This was _torture._

 

He was certain Jack was going to leave now, but for some reason he just lingered there for a while, not saying anything. Rhys shrugged, continuing with his report reading, when Jack suddenly brought up a monitor closer to his face, and got that weird, soft-looking expression on his face again.

 

“Oh, and, Rhysie?”- Jack started, his smirk growing wider.

“Hm?”- Rhys tried not to sound too interested when he raised his eyes to meet Jack’s, but he was practically shivering now. What’s with that sudden attitude!?

“If you ever feel like… Having me help you out again… Just plug that drive into your port before you head home, cupcake. I’ll see you then,”- And with a wink and a smile, Jack disappeared and the monitor went black.

 

Rhys firmly decided that he needed an urgent bathroom break – like, right now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 'jack is a decent person' is the biggest lie ive ever written  
> rhys, honey, no


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i wanna say a quick thank you to all the people who have commented, and keep commenting on this
> 
> you all are so fucking wonderful. I live off of your words of encouragement tbh
> 
> also I'm really sorry if I haven't answered to each and every single comment - it's not because I didn't like it or am ignoring you or something. I usually just don't always know what to say
> 
> replying 'thank you' to everyone a thousand times seems a bit insincere, but that is pretty much the only thing running through my mind every time i read the comments. you all are so excited and pumped for this fic - I do truly appreciate each and every single one of you
> 
> and all you nerds who leave kudos as well. you're the greatest
> 
> thank you all so much and i just hope i continue to meet your expectations

It was a few hours later that Vaughn showed up at the office again.

 

Rhys welcomed him in, pushing aside the paperwork for the moment, wondering what made his friend come back once more. He even offered him to sit in the CEO chair.

 

“Rhys, I… I can’t help thinking about her, y’know,”- Vaughn said, plopping down on the chair, -“I- Wow, this chair is ridiculously comfortable? What the hell?”

“Dopamine injectors- anyway. You’re talking about Yvette, right?”- Rhys positioned himself on the edge of the desk, getting that heavy feeling in his gut again.

“Yeah… We can’t just leave her there, can we? I mean... She's been locked down there for so many weeks and...”

Rhys averted his eyes away, taking a moment to reflect.

 

No, perhaps keeping her trapped forever wasn’t the best course of action, but… Would he be able to face her again anytime soon?

 

Would he be able to _trust_ her?

 

“Let’s talk to her, Rhys,”- Vaughn said, suddenly standing up, making Rhys take a step back. He had his fists clenched together, and his eyes were sparkling over with determination. Rhys sighed, rubbing at his neck in hesitation. 

Vaughn might not have realized it, but this whole thing was much easier for him than for Rhys. While they were all up here, taking care of the last Gortys piece, Vaughn was down on Pandora in blissful ignorance. 

 

He didn’t see Yvette, didn’t hear what she said.

 

He wasn't the one to hit her with the stun baton.

 

But... Rhys could no longer run away from his problems either. It was time to fix things he has broken in the first place. 

 

After another moment of silence, he finally nodded, turning to Vaughn, -“Yeah, alright... Let’s do this. Let's see what she has to say.”

 

“Yes!”- Vaughn threw his fist in the air, looking cheerful.

 

If only Rhys could share his enthusiasm.

 

It was obvious he missed Yvette. Hell, Rhys missed her too – the _old_ her, the one who would usually make him buy her lunch, and tell him he’s a disaster for tucking his tie into his pants. She was never a supervillain, or even a bad person...

 

So _why..?_

 

They both were silent on the way to the holding cells, Vaughn’s mood getting noticeably worse the closer they got to the block. By the time they reached the guard’s room, he was ready to turn around and run away, saying it was a bad idea after all, but Rhys held him back. They had to do this  _together_.

 

“We need to talk to a prisoner,”- Rhys told the guard without a greeting or an introduction. He wasn't exactly feeling like making friends today.

 

The guard, in turn, took a long, _long_ moment to look up at him from behind his newspaper. Rhys could practically see annoyance written all over his face despite the opaque helmet. _Well, sorry for bothering you, princess._  

 

“Ain’t ya the new president?”- The guard stood up, putting away the paper.

He talked with a thick accent, and seemed to think the world of himself, judging by the way he walked up to Rhys and stared him down. Sure, Rhys was tall, but this guy was way taller.

“Yes. We _need_ to talk to a prisoner,”- Rhys repeated, growing impatient. He was already in a sour mood, and he definitely didn’t need to be pissed off any further.

 

When will anyone start respecting him around here…

 

“Huh, yer kinda bossy. Not sure if I like that attitude..."- The guard shook his head, his attention suddenly shifting towards Vaugh, -"Oh, and who’s _this?_ Your pet?”

 

He was making fun of Vaughn. You  _don't_ fucking make fun of  _Vaughn_.

 

 _Especially_  not right in front of Rhys.

 

He stood directly in between them, sneering at the guard, ready to put him into place-

 

When suddenly the monitors in the room changed channel, and instead of showing the holding cells, they were now all showing Jack.

 

Handsome goddamn Jack, who looked _pissed_ as hell.

 

“What the fuck is you fucking problem, man!?”- Jack yelled, his holographic voice distorting and glitching.

 

The guard nearly fell over while jumping back three feet, turning around to face the monitors and straightening out like a soldier.

 

“Handsome Jack, sir!”- He called out, and Rhys could practically hear him hold his breath.

 

“Your fucking boss is standing right in front of you, ya dickhead,”- Jack continued, pointing at Rhys, then back at the guard, -“Have some fucking respect before he _fires_ you - OUT OF AN AIRLOCK.”

 

And with that, Jack was gone, and the monitors resumed their regularly scheduled programs (of showing mostly empty cells).

 

The guard, still trembling, shouted out an apology, and immediately opened up the door leading to the rest of the prison block.

 

For once in his life, Rhys was actually glad Jack was listening in on everything he did - because honestly, it was about time people stopped treating him as... Well, as a janitor.

 

He would have to thank Jack later.

 

He passed by the guard without a single word, Vaughn following him close by, properly stunned to comment on anything that was going on.

 

But all annoyances that were caused by that scene seemed to have dissipated as soon as Rhys saw _her_.

 

Yvette was sitting on the floor, her knees to her chest, looking right at them. Time seemed to stop for a moment as her eyes met Rhys's, and he suddenly felt angry, and betrayed, and  _hurt_. 

 

She smiled then, sadly, and time resumed as she looked down at the floor, sighing heavily. 

 

“Quite a commotion you caused there, president,”- She said, but her voice wasn’t bitter.

 

Just tired and somber.

 

“H-Hey, Yvette…”- Vaughn waved at her with an uncertain smile, stepping out from behind Rhys, and her eyes grew wider.

She didn’t seem to have realized he was there as well.

“V-Vaughn… Hi,”- She stood up, walking over to the barrier of her cell, leaning on it with both hands, -“Well aren’t you looking all cool and handsome with your beard. What happened to you glasses-?”

“Yvette,”- Rhys interrupted, but soon realized he had nothing more to say.

 

It was… heartbreaking, really…

 

Seeing her all broken down like that… If only Rhys could just forget everything that happened.

 

After a few moments of silence, Yvette closed her eyes, and turned away, leaning back on the glass, he arms crossed on her chest. She sighed heavily once again, and Rhys and Vaughn exchanged a glance.

“Well, I don’t know if you wanna hear it or not… But, for what it’s worth, I really am sorry,”- She began, her voice trembling, -“I… I was a terrible friend. Hell, I wasn’t even a friend, was I?”

“Yvette…”- Vaughn whispered, meekly placing his hand on the cell barrier.

“Vaughn always stuck by you side, through thick and thin. And I gave up on you as soon as I heard you were going down to Pandora. I just… I ruined everything, didn’t I?”

“Well, you sure did give us one helluva chase with Vasquez,”- Rhys mumbled, scratching at his neck. At least she did sound sincere…

 

“I was just hoping that maybe- I don’t know. I thought I was in the right, to at the very least make your deaths less... Meaningless. But…”- She turned around then, her eyes stained with tears, smiling at them like so many times before. Except this time, her lips were trembling, -“Well, being locked up in this cell all alone for so long gave me plenty of time to think.”

 

Rhys could practically hear his heart breaking.

 

No matter what Yvette did, he always ended up forgiving her. Like that time she spilled coffee over his new shirt, or that time she deleted the report he spent a whole week writing... 

 

And was this time any different?

 

“I’m not asking you for your forgiveness, Rhys… Just know that I _am_ sorry. And I will get out of your hair forever if you just let me go,”- She finished up, reaching out to touch the barrier with her hand.

 

Rhys looked at her, pursing his lips. He suddenly thought what Jack would say about Yvette, about the whole betrayal... And realized that he would have probably killed her on the spot. Rhys didn't have the time for that back then - he was too busy with the Vault ordeal to pay her any mind.

 

So he just kinda left her in the cell up until now... And _now_ , when he was thinking reasonably, maybe killing her wouldn't have actually done him any good. 

Yvette was always a good friend - his  _best_ friend, just like Vaughn. And she was a brilliant worker, too... 

 

So maybe it wasn't the 'Jack way', but Rhys was his own person, dammit. 

 

A long moment passed in silence, and Rhys could feel Vaughn’s puppy eyes drilling a hole in him. 

 

He finally sighed, running a hand through his hair, and released the lock on the door using his keycard.

 

“Nnyeaaah, everyone deserves a second chance,”- He breathed out, amused by the shocked expressions on his friends’ faces, -“C’mere, ya big meanie, you-“

Rhys opened up his arms, and Yvette, after only a second's hesitation, threw herself at him, hugging him so tight it almost hurt.

 

He felt her tears stain his shirt, but that was okay, because fuck it, he had his friend back.

 

Killing her would've  _never_ felt as good as hugging her again. 

 

“Me too! Me too!”- Vaughn yelled, wrapping his arms around Yvette. She turned around to lift him up, and circled him in the air in a tight embrace. Both of them were laughing, and Rhys finally felt like he did something right for once in his life.

 

“You’re buying me dinner for the rest of your life for this,”- Rhys said as they were walking past a very confused, yet very too-scared-to-comment guard. Yvette threw her arms over both her friends’ necks, bringing them down to her level.

 

It wasn’t the first time she’s done so, but no matter how many times she did it, it was as uncomfortable as ever. Rhys decided not to complain about it this time. 

 

“You’re the CEO now, Rhys, you should be buying all of us dinner from now on until forever!”- She laughed, ruffling his hair.

 

“Don’t push it,”- Rhys smiled, happy to be finally reunited with his two best friends.

 

• • • •

 

“So what’s he like?”- Yvette asked, turning to Rhys after ordering a salad off of the menu.

 

They were dining in a fancy ass restaurant they only allowed themselves to visit on special occasions. And what was more special than reunion of best friends? 

 

Besides, once his pay check actually comes, Rhys would be able to afford stuff like this any day.

 

It was good to be the king.

 

“Demanding, whiny, annoying-”- Rhys began, resting his head on his hand, but Vaughn immediately interrupted him.

“-He’s actually _so_ great! He’s got so many tips and advices and actually guides me through!”- Vaughn was doing his finest ‘Rhys impression’, reading something off of his Echocom. It took Rhys a moment to realize it was his own damn messages, -“He’s really funny when he makes fun of other people, and, like, he’s tough, but reasonably tough- _Ow!”_

Rhys kicked Vaughn under the table, while Yvette laughed, -“Annoying, huh? Sounds like you actually enjoy working with him, Rhys.”

“Yeah, well, could be worse, I guess...”- Rhys mumbled, crossing his arms. He hated when his friends made fun of his way too obvious crush on Jack – and _now_ especially.

 

“Tid he see yer offish yed?”- Yvette asked, her mouth full of breadsticks, and Rhys didn’t even have to look at Vaughn to know he was dying to use this opportunity to make fun of him.

“Oh, he _saw_ ,”- Rhys said, taking a large gulp of his wine. This was going to be embarrassing, wasn’t it.

 

“Seriously? And he didn’t freak?”

“Ha! Freak!”- Vaughn joined in, waving his breadstick around like a pointer, -“You should see Jack's _own_  office, Yvette! That guy has giant statues of his face in there. Rhys’s office is _nothing_ compared to that place.”

“So you’re telling me the only person who loves Jack more than Rhys is… Jack? You’re a great couple,”- Yvette laughed, elbowing Rhys to his side, and Vaughn joined her.

“I-I don’t love-“- Rhys began, a deep blush creeping up his neck.

 

Of course, images of _that_ night just _had_ to flash before his eyes, and suddenly their jokes about his crush became just this much more embarrassing.

 

Yvette, being his other best friend, knew all too well about Rhys’s obsession with Jack. After all, she was with him the day he stood three hours in a line to get a limited edition Handsome Jack T-shirt. Vaughn was sick that day, and he didn’t want to feel completely pathetic by coming in two hours early all alone. From that day on Yvette vowed to make fun of him every opportunity she had, and Rhys had no right to complain about it.

 

“Wow, Rhys, did you always blush like that?”- She asked, poking his cheek with her finger, and Rhys flinched back.

 

He was ready to die just about then, when Vaughn came to his rescue – or, rather, to make the situation worse.

 

“Well, he _was_ stuck with Jack the whole time we’ve been down on Pandora, so…”- He nudged Yvette’s side, and she snorted, -“Who knows what their relationship is anymore…”

 

Of course, Rhys knew they were joking. Of course, that also made him want to just maybe choke to death on the steak he was eating.

 

What happened between him and Jack was- well, maybe his friends really should never, ever find out about _any_ of it.

They would probably murder him if they knew. Or just let him die of embarrassment. 

 

“Speaking of Pandora… Where are those two girls that came with you?”- Yvette suddenly changed the subject, and Rhys and Vaughn took a second to look at each other.

 

“Fiona and Sasha... They, well...“-Rhys began, Vaughn placing a hand on his shoulder.

“I want to apologize to them too. They’re your friends, right?”

“We don’t know where they are,”- Vaughn said, averting his eyes.

 

Yvette only hummed, noticing the sudden tension.

 

Rhys had never forgotten about them, but… He was busy. And it was no excuse, of course, but he didn’t exactly have a lot to go by. He didn’t have the time anymore to sit at the telescope and search the entirety of Pandora for them.

 

They all remained silent for a few moments, and then Rhys downed his glass of wine in one go, loudly placing the glass on the table.

 

“You know what? I promised it to Vaughn once before, and I'll promise it again - I'll find them. And Gortys and LB as well,”- He said, and Yvette and Vaughn immediately looked much more hopeful, -“I don’t care how long it will take, we’ll all find them, dammit.”

 

Because they didn’t go through all that shit together only to have it end like that. Because the way it ended was terrible, and they all deserved better.

 

Because they deserved to know the true Rhys - and the true Handsome Jack, for that matter.

 

Rhys nodded, mostly to himself, as though confirming all his thoughts.

 

"I'll definitely find them." 

 


	10. Chapter 10

“You’re still here, pumpkin’?”- Jack sounded unimpressed, standing with his arms crossed and his eyebrows furrowed. Rhys just waved him off.

Two days later, Rhys _still_ hasn’t left the office. He was beginning to smell pretty bad, and the most sleep he was getting were hour long naps in the middle of the day.

 

After he returned from the dinner with his friends, he was still sort of kind of drunk, and wanted to just drown himself in paperwork... And instead he got into yet _another_ fight with Jack. 

At first he just told Rhys he was disappointed with him for being so soft on Yvette and just forgiving her right off the bat. Betrayals shouldn't be forgotten that easily, he told him. And, well, of course Rhys talked back, and everything escalated into an argument once more. 

"Hell, if I knew you were going to just let her fucking walk, I would've never helped with the fucking guard-"- Jack would yell, and Rhys would immediately retort.

"I never _asked_ for your friggin' help, Jack-"

"But I _did_ help, you ungrateful piece of shit. So what's next - you going to hand her a knife? Stab yourself in the back for her!?"

" _Fuck off_."

 

And so on and so forth until they were both exhausted from yelling and Rhys was just sitting in his chair, staring at the floor. He was certain Jack was going to leave at the end of that shouting round, storm out of the room- or, rather, turn off the monitors, but the man just kept staring at him from above with a scrutinizing glare. 

After a few moments of silence, Jack finally sighed, running a hand down his face, -"Look, Rhys. I'm not pissed off because you didn't kill her - I'm fucking pissed off because you allowed her to walk all over you like you're a fucking carpet. And yeah, okay, I am _kinda_ pissedyou didn't kill her, but you can't allow those who betrayed you take advantage of you-"

"I'm not letting _anyone_ take fucking advantage,"- Rhys sneered, too exhausted to yell, -"Yvette has always been my friend- and she still  _is_. And hell, it's not even about the whole friend thing. There is literally _no_ one better at operating the security sector than her. She's also handy with moonshots and tracking. Hyperion would crumble down without her."

Jack paused at that, looking over Rhys with a searching gaze. He was thinking of something for a while, and his eyes seemed to light up the moment realization dawned/ He just kept on smiling deviously while staring at Rhys - so much it was getting kinda uncomfortable - and then he just... Laughed.

 

"Oh-ho-ho, _Rhysie!_ "- He kept shaking his head, his hands placed on both his hips. He looked as though he just figured out that Rhys was pulling an elaborate prank on him all this time... Which made Rhys himself squint in confusion, -'You should've just said so in the first place!"

"S-Said what?"

"That you're  _using_ her!"

 

That made Rhys pause in his tracks.

 

Using... Yvette?

 

"Pretending to forgive your enemies only to exploit them for your benefit... That's genius, cupcake!"- Jack actually looked like he was impressed, which did boost Rhys's ego, except... 

 

No, he wasn't...

 

He wasn't exploiting _anyone_. Hell, Yvette wasn't his enemy either - she just- 

 

She was good at what she did, okay!? And Rhys  _did_ take it into account before releasing her, but...

 

...Oh god, is that really what he was doing? Was he just _using_ his best friend!?

 

But Jack did seem to finally be pleased with him, and he definitely stopped being angry... So Rhys just played along. Of course, mentally, he decided that he was most definitely _not_ using Yvette just for her skills, and that he actually valued her friendship, but Jack didn't have to know.

 

It was... easier this way.

 

So, after praising Rhys some more on his, uh, 'ingenuity', Jack let him be. He disappeared with a wink and a smile, and Rhys was about to go home, when...

 

Well, he remembered the last time Jack winked at him before disappearing-  _Damn him._

 

And so Rhys had no other choice but to promise that he wouldn’t leave the friggin' room until he finished all the paperwork.

 

He told that to himself two days ago now. He also realized that he was starting to regret that promise quite a bit.

 

It was way past midnight already, Rhys was on his fourth cup of coffee, and he knew that messing up his sleep schedule like that was definitely not a very wise decision, but this was the best he could do given the situation.

 

The words Jack said before he left the office a few days before were still circling around in Rhys’s head.

 

_“Just plug that drive into your port before you head home, cupcake. I’ll see you then…”_

 

The dilemma kept tormenting Rhys all this time.

 

If he downloaded Jack into his brain before heading home, his pride would never, ever forgive him. He knew he couldn’t live on with himself if he did something so… well, truly pathetic. And yet, heading home without Jack was just as risky. Those man’s moods were just as unpredictable as Hyperion's sales. What if he would be angry with Rhys?

 

…What if _that_ night was the first and the last time something like _that_ happened?

 

And yes, admittedly, it was a very, _very_ lame solution to his problem, but staying up cooped up in the office, working, was the best idea Rhys had. If he didn’t leave the room, he didn’t have to decide.

 

Rhys ran a hand down his face, feeling like a complete idiot for the millionth time in the last two days. He was so damn tired now, all because he allowed some stupid delusions about him having a shot with Jack creep into his head… Ugh, what was he _thinking!?_

 

Jack was a freaking _hologram_. And never mind that- actually having _a shot_ with him!? Not that they would _date_ , ever. Not like Rhys even _wanted_ to date someone as unstable as Jack-

 

And Jack was probably just thinking of him as something to play with, anyway. Hell, who knew what he was thinking about him _now._

 

It’s not that Rhys minded, necessarily – but he _did_ have more pride than that.

 

Besides –

 

“Hey! Are you listening to me!?”- Jack’s monitor suddenly appeared right in front of Rhys’s face, and Rhys jumped back, the chair rolling away with him.

 

He was so busy thinking about Handsome Jack, he didn’t fucking hear Handsome Jack. 

 

“Uh- N-No- Wh-Wh-What did you say?”- He stuttered, rubbing the back of his neck. He was _way_ more sleep deprived than he initially thought.

“I _said_ go to sleep, kid. And take a shower, for chrissake – I don’t have a sense of smell and I’m still gagging just by looking at you. There’s plenty of time to take care of paperwork, y’know.”

 

Rhys stared at the pile of reports on his desk that didn’t seem to be getting any smaller no matter how many of them he read, and shook his head, -“No, I… I wanna finish these as soon as possible. Move on to bigger projects and stuff.”

And that wasn’t necessarily a lie. Rhys _did_ want to finish the mandatory tasks soon so he could explore the ideas he began writing down ever since he decided he was going to rule Hyperion one day. He was sure the folder with his plans was tired of collecting dust in his table drawer.

Of course, _that_ wasn’t the primary reason Rhys was working himself into an early grave, but that response was way more dignified than ‘ _I can’t decide whether I want you to help me jack off again or not’_.

 

Ugh, he was _so_ lame.

 

Jack gave him a strange look, but then shrugged, smirking, -“Suit yourself, hotshot. Can’t wait to see what “projects” you’ve got in mind.”

He turned around as though to leave, then lingered for a moment, and turned back to face Rhys, -“By the way… I heard they, uh, managed to track down a missing loader bot, down on Pandora. They wanted to have it self-destruct before some bandits high-jacked it, but… Well, I told them it’s your call. Just thought I’d let ya know.”

And with that, Jack was gone, leaving a stunned Rhys blinking after him.

 

Missing... loader bot?

 

_It’s gotta be him._

 

Rhys lightly slapped his own cheeks, feeling more awake already. Did that mean he was okay? What about Sasha and Fiona and Gortys? Were they with him?

 

Could he finally find them?

 

And, most importantly... Why would Jack tell him that!?

 

Rhys logged into his computer, sending a quick note to Yvette about LB’s coordinates. She _was_ the best in this business, after all.

He was going to find his friends no matter what, even if that meant going down to Pandora again.

 

Admittedly, with all the corporate stuff that’s been going on, and the panic and joy Jack’s revival brought to Hyperion, Rhys barely had any time to think about anything else. Not to mention the, um, ‘affair’, with Jack.

The more he thought about how neglectful he was being, the more guilty he was beginning to feel… 

 

_Shit, why am I such a selfish jerk…_

 

Rhys pressed his face to the desk, just for a second. He was really, _really_ exhausted, and maybe another nap wouldn’t do him any harm.

 

Bright images started flooding into his head, scenes he may have half-imagined, half-remembered, and a smile so predatory, so devious, Rhys felt he was going to be devoured whole.

 

• • • •

 

It was going to be ready soon.

Jack couldn’t wait.

 

Ever since coming back home, it was a dream of his – a dream that was finally going to come true.

He deliberated telling Rhys, but hell, it would be _way_ more fun to surprise him. He would just have to be patient a little longer…

 

Telling the kid about loader bot was enough – a little reward for working non-stop for the past couple of days. Plus, if he had to spend another minute in that tiny room, watching Rhys look over that dusty shithole with the telescope, he was going to go insane.

Jack wasn’t sure why Rhys was so insistent on exhausting himself like that- maybe it was just the excitement of being the CEO. He was so damn moody these days. 

But Jack had to admit, he _was_ full of surprises, and he did have an interesting approach. _Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer, right?_

 

Kid wasn’t stupid, but he had too much to learn.

 

Jack remembered himself the first couple of days he finally took over Hyperion. He worked non-stop on his project to open the Vault, not sleeping or eating for around a week. He probably killed more people in that period alone than he did during the rest of his life- _nah, that’s a lie_. Still, he killed a _shitload_ of people. Mostly due to his own grogginess, sure, but they all made the mistake of making Jack doubt them, or distracting him from what was important.

 

And there were so many important things back in the day…

 

He wasn’t giving up that easily, though. Even death can’t stop Handsome _goddamn_ Jack.

 

But enough of that, he had to take care of the kid first. And, if the cameras in his office were anything to go by, he was lying on his desk, unmoving, for the last 3 hours. He either fell asleep, or finally died from overworking, and Jack didn’t feel like he’d be satisfied with the second option.

 

The kid was _just_ starting to get interesting – he couldn’t die now.

 

Jack lowered the monitor in the office, closely observing whether Rhys was still breathing or not.

He looked so damn peaceful- _stupid, pretty boy_. Jack hated that he liked that asshole’s face, hated the way his mind kept on wondering back to his legs, and the way they spread for him, and just _him_.

 

Rhys was nothing – just another lowly employee, another face in the gray mass of his subordinates. But once you get to observe him for a while, get to know his stupid little habits and quirks, get to appreciate the way he’d easily get flustered and the way his voice would crack when he’s scared, the way he hid his lust for power under that ‘nice guy’ demeanor, or the way his sleeping face was nothing like the face he made when he was awake – well, that’s when you realize that Rhys really was a pretty little thing.

 

And Jack _hated_ how startled he was when he caught him jerking off.

 

He hated the way the realization what the kid was doing made his stomach tie into a knot, rendered him speechless. He had appearances to keep up, _dammit_ , and here he was feeling like a damn lowly engineer again, meeting Moxxi for the first time, or seeing _her,_ with her badass hat and… Shit _,_ no, thinking like that won’t do any good, _stop thinking about her, Jack, for fuck’s sake, stop-_

 

“Nngh,”- Rhys suddenly mumbled, and Jack’s attention diverted to him, breaking off his train of thought, -“A-Aah…”

 

Jack cocked one of his eyebrows, trying to figure out whether the kid was waking up, or he always made those noises in his sleep, or whether he was actually having-

 

“J-Jack, mm…”- He mumbled, shifting his head just a little, and Jack felt like he was going to throw a fit just then and there.

 

 _What the fuck_ , - He thought, trying his hardest to suppress his laughter, because _oh my god_ , _I’m not missing this show for the world._

Rhys was seriously, really, _truly_ having a wet dream about _him_ , and Jack didn’t know whether he found that hot or hilarious. He was _talking_ in this sleep, for crissake – this was ridiculous.

 

And then Rhys gave a loud moan, and suddenly Jack didn’t feel like laughing anymore.

Rhys had the most erotic face Jack has ever seen on a person (especially a fucking sleeping person), and he was moaning _his_ name.

 

Jack felt himself breathe in sharply, damning everything to hell, because _what the fuck_ , this kid isn't supposed to be this attractive, isn't supposed to make him feel like losing all his shit. Rhys was stirring now, his eyes blinking slowly, trying to focus and wake up.

 

And then Jack was acting without thinking.

 

In a moment, he was plugging the drive into Rhys's port, while the kid was still struggling to wake up.

 

When Rhys finally sat up, Jack was standing in front of him, smirking, his arms crossed on his chest.

 

Gotta keep up your reputation, after all.

 

"Ja-Jack,"- Rhys panted, rubbing at his eye. The desk's edge was imprinted on the left side of his face, his hair was unkempt and sticking out in weird places, and the circles under his eyes were the size of Elpis.

 

Jack thought he looked hot as hell.

 

"I'm still.... dreaming, aren't it?"- He whispered, reaching out as though to touch Jack, his hand going right through his chest, -"Huh..? I'm... not?"

 

Jack only laughed, sitting down on the desk in front of Rhys, Rhys’s body in between his legs, -"Yeah, sorry to wake you up, pumpkin’. But you sure were having a helluva lot of fun, if that tent in your pants is anything to go by."

 

Rhys looked down, and his face was matching the color of his tie in a second. He pressed down on his pants, crossing his legs as though that would fix anything, and Jack laughed harder.

 

"Y-You didn't see anything!"- He yelled, more a statement rather than a question.

 

"Oh, I saw AND heard plenty, baby,"- Jack chuckled, leaning in closer, licking his lips, his face inches away from Rhys's, -"You're a freak, kid. If you wanted me _that_ bad you could've just asked."

 

Rhys was breathing even more heavily now, his eyes never leaving Jack's. He looked as though he wanted to disappear right then and there, but he didn't move away or turn Jack down. That was a good sign.

 

"C'mon, kitten, let's have some fun,"- Jack purred, easily taking control of Rhys's hand. Rhys opened his mouth, about to say something, but then promptly closed it, biting down his lower lip. After another second of hesitation, he slowly began to unbutton his pants with his other hand.

 

Jack kept laughing – the kid was a delight. If only he could actually touch him...

 

Jack pulled Rhys's cock out of his boxers, already fully erect, leaking precum and staining his pants.

 

"Gee, babydoll, that makes me wonder what the hell you dream about,"- Jack smirked, and Rhys turned his head away, panting loudly.

 

It wasn't one of his most dignified moments, sure, and Jack was certain his pride levels dropped lower by the second, but if the way his eyes rolled when Jack played with his head was anything to go by, he was having the time of his life. Jack could just devour him whole.

 

"Alright, doll, spit on your hand for me, will ya? We don't want this to hurt, now, do we?"

 

Rhys threw his head back, closing his eyes shut, and then (quite literally) swallowed the remains of his pride, before leaning forward and spitting on his- Jack's- hand.

 

"Good boy,"- Jack praised, and he could feel Rhys's cock twitch in his hand.

 

 _So, praise kink, huh?_ Jack stuffed that memo into the back of his brain, focusing on the task at hand.

 

It was a little trickier, now that he was facing Rhys instead of sitting behind him, but not anything he couldn't manage. The moans Rhys gave out with Jack's each pump were enough to keep him concentrated.

 

"That's it, baby boy... You can be as loud as you wanna. The walls are soundproof,"- Jack leaned in and whispered into his ear, making Rhys audibly exhale, -"Scream for daddy, cupcake."

“Jack… D-Don’t stop-“

Rhys bit down on the back of his flesh hand at that, muffling a really, _really_ loud moan. No matter what he wanted Jack to believe, he was into it.

 

And Jack was into making him squirm.

 

"Ja-ah,"- Rhys whimpered, shifting back, -"Ca-Ah-"

“Yeah, baby? What is it?”

Rhys breathed hard against the leather of the chair, closing his eyes shut. He swallowed down then, speaking in a shaky voice, -“C-Call me… Call me y-your special boy a-again.”

Jack’s eyes widened at the request, his hand momentarily halting its movements. Rhys still wasn’t turning to face him, his face redder than was probably healthy. Jack knew better than anyone else the kid had too much pride, so… He honestly had no idea how the hell did he manage to actually ask for something like _that_.

 

_Shit, that was hot-_

 

Jack resumed his movements after another moment, almost twice as enthusiastic as before. The kid never failed to amaze him.

 

“You only have to ask, cupcake. You’re…”- For a second Jack’s voice caught in his throat. He was finding it more difficult to speak with Rhys’s eyes looking up at him expectantly like that, -“Hell, you’re amazing, Rhysie…  I’m so fucking proud… of my special boy…”

Rhys moaned loudly then, jerking his hips forward, arching his against the chair. Jack wanted nothing more than to just hold him then, just to be able to _fucking touch him_. It was almost unbearable.

“A-ah,”- Rhys breathed out loudly, and Jack felt him shudder, -“I’m- I-“

 

"Not yet, kitten,"- Jack smiled gently - and then roughly pressed on Rhys's slit, making him flinch.

 

"Wha-"

 

"Say it, baby,"- Jack looked down on him, taking in the shock, the confusion, the hurt, the _need_. God, what things Jack will _do_ to him... -"Tell daddy what you need."

 

"J-Jack, plea... Please..."- Rhys was now trying to regain control of his arm, but his struggles were pretty much futile. He wanted it.

 

Jack knew he wanted it.

 

"Please _who_ , cupcake?"

 

"D-Don't make me say it,"- He said, almost with spite in his voice, and perhaps Jack would've reconsidered if it wasn't for that blush covering his face and neck, and that trickle of saliva on his chin.

 

Jack simply pressed harder, and Rhys moaned, throwing his head back, clutching at the back of the chair with his flesh hand, his nails digging into its leather. He did Rhys a favor – now it was time for him to repay it.

 

Rhys remained silent for the next couple of moments, only panting and swallowing down, and Jack grew impatient. He got closer to Rhys's face, his holographic lips almost passing through Rhys's, giving his slit another hard press.

 

"Say it, babydoll. Be a good boy for me and say it."

 

"G-Gah,"- Rhys breathed out heavily, turning his face away and shutting his eyes, -"D-Daddy- P-please, let me c-come-"

 

Jack released his cock then, giving a low satisfied groan himself, and moved on to massage his balls. Rhys was coming with a loud moan, staining his desk, his hands, his pants and edges of his shirt. Jack returned the control of his hand, then, feeling thoroughly exhausted himself.

 

 

This kid....

 

 

He was going to fucking _wreck_ this kid.

 

"I am going to make a mess of you, Rhysie,"- He whispered, watching Rhys come down from his high, his diluted pupils unfocused yet staring right at him, -"You are going to be begging for me yet."

 

Rhys's eyes began to close, his breathing was slower. Before he could completely black out, Jack used his hand one more time to plug the drive into his port, but not before tucking his cock back into his pants and zipping them up.

 

When Jack appeared on the monitor once again, Rhys was already passed out, exhaustion finally taking its toll on him. Jack watched him sleep for a little while, then sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

 

He was getting himself into a huge mess, and fast.

This was fun and all, of course, he loved toying with Rhys... Except…

 

Well, he knew better than anyone else he couldn't toy with people.

 

And if the way his stomach tightened at the sight of Rhys’s peaceful sleeping face was anything to go by, he was in too deep to back down now. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> u like me yet_(:3」∠)_


	11. Chapter 11

Rhys slowly blinked, his blurry vision finally adjusting on the ceiling lamp above his head.

 

Oh… So he was still in the office…

 

He was having such a pleasant dream, about Jack, and his hands touching him, and they were in his bed, and he felt warm and so close… and then Jack was there again but he was blue this time, and it happened all over again and-

 

Wait.

 

,,,

 

“ _Shit_ ,”- Rhys whispered, throwing his head in his hands. That last part was most definitely _not_ a dream.

Jack was there again- he did it _again_ -

 

Ugh, Rhys was getting tired of this…

 

He stayed in the office for two whole days specifically to _avoid_ this situation from happening again, and yet here he was, allowing Jack to do with him as he pleased.

“It’s not like I don’t enjoy it…”- He mumbled to himself, remembering asking Jack not to stop. His face got redder then, as he remembered exactly what he asked of Jack after that… and what Jack asked of him.

 

_Ugh, I’m pathetic-_

And Jack, that perverted bastard… Didn’t he have a child!!?

 

Although, Rhys was no better. 

 

But, in the end, he did manage to fulfill one of his fantasies, so…

His eyes then caught the sight of the monitor watch, telling him it was around 5 am. He should really head home and shower… Plus he cannot be blamed for not downloading Jack back into his system after what just happened. So, in the end, it’s a win-win, right..?

 

Well, it certainly didn’t feel like it.

 

The pool of cum on the table made him squirm.

 

Rhys couldn’t really remember anything past the moment of embarrassment and sickening pleasure- did Jack just leave him there? Wait, shit, _his pants-_

 

Oh. So, he wasn’t sleeping with his dick out for everyone to see. That was good.

 

As embarrassing as being caught sleeping on the job may be (especially for the CEO), its way better when your pants were pulled up ( _especially_ for a CEO). Not that anyone would catch him, seeing as at this point only about four people had access to the office, but still…

And his button was still undone…

Whatever. He was practically unconscious, so at the very least he made himself look descent.

 

Was Jack still in his head…?

 

Rhys looked around for the chair drive, but found nothing. Usually, if Jack was still inside him- uh, _his head_ , the drive would still be extended, dangling off the chair.

So, good. Jack was already back in Helios.

 

He tucked in his dirty shirt and did his belt, wondering whether anyone would notice the white stains on his black pants. Hopefully he could get back into his apartment without running into anyone… Although that was practically impossible at Helios.

 

After cleaning up the office desk – a task embarrassing and disgusting, yet one he couldn’t allow anyone else to take care of – he headed over to the elevator. His walk home was quick and quiet, and he managed to only turn about five heads, so technically, it was successful.

Rhys hoped he’d feel better once he’d get into the shower and wash away everything that happened to him.

 

He didn’t.

 

He was thinking way too damn much.

 

This thing with Jack… Was it really okay?

 

They were both co-CEOs of a major corporation. Would it cause trouble if it got out into the public? God, what if people already knew? Wouldn’t the guys at IT be suspicious of Jack leaving the system for several hours at a time? Did they notice…?

It would seem like Rhys got his position by sleeping with Jack, wouldn’t it…

 

And it’s not like they were even sleeping. Hell, they physically _couldn’t_ sleep together. It was impossible, by all means. They were incapable of that kind of intimacy, so…

Would this ever amount to anything? Could it? Did he _want_ it to?

 

...Did Jack want it to?

 

Maybe it wasn’t so bad that it was a casual fling. Maybe Rhys should stop being such a stick up his own ass and just accept it for what it was… But…

 

No good.

 

He could never do it, could he? Being casual with someone… When he fell, he fell hard.

 

And he fell for Jack _years_ ago.

 

But now that Jack was actually answering him (and even encouraging him), well... It was way more difficult to stop feeling whatever the hell he was even feeling.

If he actually allowed himself to accept this, he was… Just going to get hurt, wasn’t he?

 

Jack was famous for being a player. Rhys didn’t know how true it was, but he heard all sorts of rumors. Hell, people were even saying they saw him with several women at the same time… In different places, too. But disregarding that last bit, he was probably the biggest womanizer out there. And yeah, Rhys also heard he had flings with men, so he was hardly new to that territory…

It just made him angry. Now that Jack was a hologram, it was probably a lot harder for him to go around and do his 'thing', but…

 

It was already starting to hurt - the thought of seeing Jack like _that_ with someone else. How could he allow this to progress any further, to hurt even more…?

 

Before Rhys even knew it, the water in the shower turned cold, and he had to step outside. He was going to drive himself crazy with these questions.

 

So… Well, he would just have to ask Jack directly. Maybe it wasn’t the most subtle course of action (or the least hurtful, for that matter), but Rhys had no time to waste with false hopes and pretenses. If Jack was going to reject him anyway, he’d rather it be quick and straightforward. And as soon as possible, too.

 

He was going to ask what this whole thing meant to him- what Rhys meant to him.

And he was going to ask the first chance he got.

 

• • • •

 

It has been a week.

 

A whole.

Damn.

Fucking.

_Week_ ,

 

_Jack hasn’t appeared ONCE_.

 

That asshole wasn’t heard, seen, or even _sensed_ by anyone ever since _that_ night. Oh, and Rhys _did_ ask _everyone_.

 

They had eight meetings in that one single week alone, three of them were in a single day. Two of those were with the investors, and the other one was with the R&D team. And Rhys had to handle all of that _alone_. He had to deal with all the questions of “Where is Jack” and “Are you Jack’s replacement” and “Didn’t you just graduate high school” and-

_Ugh,_ it was pissing him off.

Jack _really_ wasn’t lying when he said they were all high and mighty and _stupid_. Apparently, while Rhys was cooped up in the office, Jack wasn’t exactly settling things with their external stakeholders, as Rhys initially assumed. In fact, no one knew exactly what the hell Jack was even doing.

Or, at least, no one wanted Rhys to know.

Jack just kinda ordered for Tara (their secretary, whom he hired about two weeks ago) to deal with everything and not to disturb either him or Rhys. Tara, albeit a nice, resourceful lady, was a bit… well, simpleminded. She didn't exactly understand how tough meetings were, so... Well, she just scheduled all of them into one week, hoping that through some superhuman power Rhys would be able to cope with all of it.

 

But really, Rhys was exhausted.

 

He spewed bullshit after bullshit excuse as to why Jack wasn’t there for the fifth day in a row, had to handle all the questions about their next big project, and to deal with all the other questions from investors and confused employees. He did, somehow, manage to convince everyone that he knew what he was doing. Well, more like he _and Jack_ knew what _they_ were doing, because no one would take Rhys seriously on his own.

 

Honestly, were he and Jack _that_ different?

 

Sure, he wasn’t the man that practically reinvented Hyperion, and he wasn't as graceful at handling meetings, but he couldn’t be any worse than Henderson. Or _Vasquez_ , for that matter. Everyone took _them_ seriously – so why was he so different?

 

Was it because Jack was at his side… And he was practically just an accessory to him…?

 

Rhys felt more like a PA than the CEO. Although, he did have an opportunity to discuss his projects with R&D, so there was that…

 

He wanted to show them to Jack first to get his approval, though. And just _where the hell was that asshole!?_

Rhys asked himself this question almost every minute of each passing day. And the more he thought, the more uneasy he grew. He was beginning to actually kinda… freak out.

“That’s it for today, sir,”- Tara nodded at him from behind her Echopad as they stood in front of the elevator, -“No more meetings until next Friday.”

“Oh, thank god…”- Rhys breathed out, brushing his hair back, -“And I told you, Rhys is fine. No need to be all formal.”

He kind of sort of knew Tara since before his CEO days. She was a dark, beautiful girl with wide shoulders, long black hair that she always wore in a tight ponytail, and a very gentle smile. She was quite tall, even a bit taller than him, and yet she still wore high heels. Rhys admired her greatly for that. It must’ve been scary, looking at the world from that height. But she did look graceful.

She was also the only person besides himself, Jack, and Vaughn to have access to Jack’s office.

She would sometimes hang around his ex-girlfriend, Stacey, but they never really talked except for an occasional hello or a casual chat about cafeteria food. Still, it felt weird having someone your age and someone you kinda know call you ‘sir’.

 

Rhys was glad she was his secretary, nevertheless.

 

“Right, sorry…”- She chuckled pulling her Echopad away and averting her eyes from his, -“I guess having meetings all day must be exhausting. Sorry for scheduling them like that, but they were really pressuring me.”

“It’s alright, you didn’t have a choice,”- Rhys smiled at her, pressing the elevator button. He could finally relax with some paperwork… _Wait, since when is paperwork relaxing!?_ –“But yeah, one more meeting and I would’ve gone off on a murderous rampage. I guess I kinda understand how Jack feels now, heh…”

Rhys was joking, of course, but his tone was devoid of amusement. He sighed, stepping into the elevator.

Tara didn’t laugh, just looked away. Something in her expression was dark.

 

Rhys couldn’t blame her.

 

“So, uh…”- He held the elevator doors, trying to sound casual as he asked. His voice was trembling a little, -“Are there still no news on…?”

Tara just shook her head, still not looking at him. Something about her seemed liked she was... pitying him? It made Rhys’s stomach churn, and not in a good way.

 

“Ah… Alright, well, keep me updated.”

 

He pressed the button for the office, and then he was off. This was… really taking a toll on him.

He was beginning to feel abandoned.

 

But that was ridiculous, right? Jack wouldn’t just leave Hyperion behind like that, right?

 

He wouldn’t leave Rhys…

 

...Right?

 

For the millionth time, he went over the events of what happened the last time he saw Jack…

 

If only he could know what happened after he passed out… Was this whole thing too much for him? Did Rhys go too far?

 

Everything seemed to be going as per usual- well, not _usual_ usual, but it was beginning to be _their_ usual. So why…?

 

Even after saying that embarrassing thing… He wanted it, right? And Rhys gave it to him. So why, why, _why_ … Rhys's thoughts and theories about where Jack could've gone to ranged from weird, to extreme, to completely and utterly impossible, and yet he was still no closer to figuring out the truth. 

 

Did Jack run away because this fling with Rhys was blowing out of proportion? This was the _weird_ idea, the one that made least sense, yet kept coming back to him over and over. He wouldn’t stoop so low, would he? He was way too prideful for that.

...And how would he run away, anyway? He lived in the system. He couldn’t exactly _run_.

This led Rhys to the second most obvious assumption – he was kidnapped. Or, uh, downloaded…? Cyber-kidnapped. Cybernapped.

Yes, Jack must have been cybernapped – and yes, this was the _extreme_. Somebody – most likely a rival company – found out about Jack returning as part of the Helios system, and decided to get him for themselves. So they sent over spies, who downloaded Jack, and took him away.

But… The only place with the drive was Jack’s office. In the chair – the same one he was sitting in at this very moment. Jack said so himself.

And the only ones with the access… Well, those were the people Rhys trusted most.

So, while Rhys wasn’t quite sure whether Jack could be downloaded anywhere else on Helios, a break in was possible, but not exactly probable. And that led to his third idea.

 

The _impossible_ one.

 

The one that made his stomach clench the worst.

 

Jack simply… disappeared.

 

He didn’t want to believe it- hell, he _didn’t_ believe it. But… Jack was basically a computer program, wasn’t he.

And computers… have glitches. They have bugs, and problems with the code, and sometimes even the best of programs fail. If Jack tried to do something stupid, something outside his limitations… He could have very well been erased. Seen as a virus to the program, and deleted.

 

It was impossible… But Rhys had no other ideas. It was the only thing remaining…

 

And it made his heart feel heavy, his throat tight. If Jack just… died like that…

 

It was just like _that day_ all over again _…_ All those years ago.

 

Rhys still remembered himself back then.

 

He also remembered the first time he saw Jack.

 

He was still an intern then, full of dreams and enthusiasm. It was his and Vaughn’s introductory day, and they were taking a tour of Hyperion, visiting several stations. Of course, Rhys already knew he was going to work on Helios, because that was where Jack worked, and being close to Jack meant being closer to glory and fame.

 

It meant being closer to his ambitions, and the man he admired most.

 

God, he was _soooo_ starstruck back then…

 

As the tour group was walking around the Hub of Heroism, the elevator suddenly descended. The tour guide halted halfway, his voice turning into a squeak. He hastily turned around to face them, telling them to hush and to stay in their lane.

Rhys immediately knew what was coming- or rather, _who_ was coming.

He made his way to the front of the crowd, holding his breath as the elevator doors slowly parted and the usual Hyperion commotion got replaced by a grave silence. Maybe it was due to his own madly beating heart, or his memory wasn’t that good anymore, but it was like everything was in slow motion just then – Jack stepped out of the elevator, followed by an array of important looking corporate people. Rhys could swear he saw white smoke appear behind them as well, as though it was a scene in a movie.

His heart was caught in his chest, and everything stood still for a moment.

 

Rhys never saw anyone looking this _cool_ in his entire life.

 

Jack slowly scanned the room with his mismatched eyes, briefly locking them with Rhys’s own, and he felt like he could have exploded just then and there. _Handsome Jack looked at him_.

It was over in an instant, and Jack proceeded forward, with his followers close behind.

Close, but not _too_ close.

Everyone knew to keep their distance away from Handsome Jack. When they passed and were out of earshot, the chatter came back with unusual vigor. Everyone was gossiping and whispering, and the tour guide was saying something about being lucky to witness the rare occasion that Handsome Jack was actually on Helios and not working somewhere else or away on Pandora. Rhys could barely hear him – his heart was beating so loud, so incredibly fast, he thought he would pass out.

In fact, he and Vaughn didn’t proceed with the tour – what was the point, after all. 

Rhys knew he wanted to be here, to see Jack, to be close to Jack, to at least be able to stand near him and feel his greatness. It was enough for him – to just maybe say “Good morning, sir!” to him once, to maybe shake his hand… Maybe even get his autograph if he was lucky!

Yes, Helios was the place he wanted to be. Vaughn had no objections – he liked the station (even though Jack did seem intimidating) and he wanted to be wherever Rhys wanted to be.

 

So, Helios it was.

 

They met Yvette while on their internship, talking to her only because Vaughn thought she was pretty and Rhys was his number one wingman. And then it turned out that it was her first year on the job, so she showed them around and explained how Helios worked. Of course, she didn’t turn out to be Vaughn’s dream girl, but all three of them became super close friends nevertheless.

Over the next couple of years, as Rhys finished his intern training, and officially became a Hyperion employee, his joy and enthusiasm died down. Paperwork was tedious, his duties were simple yet overwhelming, and he wasn’t recognized for anything he ever did. _Corporate life, amiright?_

But despite everything, he still got that jolt in his chest every time Jack walked by. His eyes still lit up every time he caught the sight of that man, and it completely and absolutely made his day. Yvette called it “the after-Jack glow”, and Rhys would get red in the face and punch Vaughn (to his great disdain), because he could never bring himself to actually punch Yvette.

Rhys still remembered the one time he stood a little too close to Jack, and Jack spat on him. He swore never to wash, ever again, but Vaughn practically begged him, or he wouldn’t be able to come closer than 10 feet away.

God, he really was pathetic… But the smell of Jack as he passed by, his strong cologne mixed with a hint of gunmetal and blood… Rhys was sure he was going to go crazy just thinking of that smell.

 

He always imagined it on those nights, alone in his room, wishing for the impossible.

 

Then he broke up with Stacey, and then everything went downhill from there on.

 

Work was piling up, he got into one of those rare fights with Vaughn, and his boss was being especially dickish. But Rhys knew – when he would see Jack, everything would change. It was like a token of good luck, his personal superstition.

_If I see Jack today, it’s going to be a good day_.

 

And Rhys knew he was going to pass by sometimes this week.

And it was all going to be okay…

 

Except it wasn’t.

 

Jack didn’t pass by that week. Or the next. Or the week after that.

 

It wasn’t that Rhys was worried or anything, he was just a little upset. Maybe a little pissed, even. He knew he had no right to be annoyed at a person he never even properly spoke to _once_ , but he felt like it was some kind of a personal attack. Nothing was going his way. 

 

And then the news came.

 

_“Handsome Jack is dead.”_

 

It was the talk of the station, the neighboring stations, Hyperion, Elpis, Pandora, and probably the entire universe.

 

Handsome Jack was dead.

 

And the first time Rhys heard it, he felt like he had jumped into a freezing ocean with a rock around his neck.

 

He stared at the words on the monitor as they appeared, saw the mouth of the newscasters move, heard the things they were saying, but-

 

It was a nightmare.

 

Not, it had to be a _literal nightmare_.

 

There was no way, right?

 

_Right!?_

_“He’s Handsome friggin’ Jack- He’s- He’s awesome! H-He Wouldn’t lose t-to some bandits, right!?”_

 

He only remembered that it was all a blur.

 

Vaughn found him soon enough, tucked away in a corner of some hall. He probably said something akin to an apology, offered to take him out. Rhys didn’t remember what he was saying or doing at the time. He only remembered the feeling of dread and utter and complete defeat.

 

If Jack was dead… What was going to happen to _him!?_

 

Of course, eventually, Vaughn and Yvette managed to get through to him. After three days of complete and total denial, of Rhys staying in his bed, not leaving his apartment or contacting the outside world, his friends managed to give him a new purpose in life.

“Look, Hyperion is a mess right now, yeah? It needs a new leader.”- Vaughn would say, handing him beer after beer.

“You can _become_ that new leader, Rhys. We always wanted to make it big, right?”- Yvette would punch him in the arm.

 

And it worked. 

 

It was a slow and painful process, but Rhys made it through. His posters were his inspiration, and with Vaughn and Yvette at his side, they could achieve anything. He got over Jack’s death, left it in the past, and maybe… even got over Jack.

 

He worked hard, day and night, since he knew - he had some hella big shoes to fill.

But he knew he could do it, eventually.

 

And then... Vasquez happened.

 

And the deal with the Vault key and the Jack and-

 

Hell, he almost forgot all of that. Taking a moment to reflect on his past now was… Weird.

 

He definitely wasn’t the same person as before. And Jack… Well, he wasn’t anything like what Rhys imagined him to be.

 

The day Jack died and today seem miles apart.

Really, the only thing similar between then and now was…

 

This very same sense of dread at the bottom of Rhys’s stomach.

 

It was a miracle, wasn’t it?

 

Him, sitting in this chair right now, presiding over this office and this company, and everything and anything that happened between him and Jack prior to this moment…

 

It was like a dream.

And maybe it was.

 

But, unlike the nightmare he lived through back then, Rhys didn’t exactly want to wake up from this one.

 

“You can’t leave me now, you asshole…”- He said to no one in particular, feeling his heart swell up and his eyes sting as he heard his broken voice echo across the room. Rhys looked around the office, feeling completely alone in the giant space without an annoying presence by his side, making fun of his every move.

 

He was pathetic, sure, but… He couldn’t care less.

 

He would find Jack, if it was the last thing he did. 

 

And he was going to start searching right now. 

 

But before Rhys could even so much as stand up from his chair, he saw the giant doors at the far end of the room begin to open. His heart was immediately beating faster, his eyes wide as he watched light from the other side stream through.

 

_Vaughn? No. Tara…? Why didn’t she just call…?_

But… The air felt different, somehow. There was something heavy about these agonizingly slow opening doors, about the dark figure standing on the other side.

 

 

Rhys’s heart stopped altogether when he could finally make out the features, when those broad shoulders and that leather jacket finally came into view.

 

He felt himself take a sharp breath, his hands trembling, as the figure stepped inside the office.

 

_You’ve gotta be kidding me-_

 

Everything went dark for a brief moment, moving in slow motion just like _that_ day, but then Rhys was fully conscious again, not quite standing, not quite sitting, somewhere in between dream and reality, fact and fiction.

A voice made his stomach turn upside down, bring him back to the present.

 

A voice followed by a predatory smile and a glint of the eye.

 

A voice strong and loud and booming, and so very, _very_ real.

 

“Heeeeeeyy there, cupcake…"- Jack laughed, stepping into the office, -"Ya miss me~?”

 

And at that moment, Rhys was certain he was having a heart attack.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :3c


	12. Chapter 12

"Ya miss me?"

  
  
The words resonated within Rhys's skull with more and more clarity, like a never ending echo. Or a broken record.

  
  
Jack stood in front of him.

  
  
Like, literally, _physically_ stood right there.  
  
He wasn't holographic or even blue anymore.

 

He was just... Jack.

  
  
And that made black dots swim in Rhys's vision.  


"What, cat got your tongue?"- Jack smirked up at him, hands on both his hips, standing in the same signature stance portrayed on so many artworks across Helios.

  
  
Rhys's knees felt weak.  


He slowly made his way around the desk, his eyes never leaving Jack's face, his hands shaking as he walked closer and closer.  
  
Jack watched in amusement as Rhys scanned him up and down, not saying a word, not even making a single sound. Rhys swallowed hard, as he got the closest he's ever been to Jack before...  


And just like that, suddenly, he was a Hyperion intern once again, seeing his idol step out of that elevator for the first time ever. His throat felt dry and his vision was almost blurry from the shock. He couldn't help but stare at Jack, so different from his holographic self.  
  
Rhys was noticeably taller than him, but that felt like nothing when he stood in front of this man. He felt at the very least two times smaller compared with the grandeur that Jack had about him.

And _everything_ about him screamed of greatness - his aura filled the entire room.  


It was just like when he was alive.  


Jack was _alive._

 

He was such a powerful presence. Rhys couldn't believe he could so easily ignore someone like that, even if he was a hologram.  
  
Jack had his usual mask on, his hair dark brown, speckled with a few white strands, his blue and green eyes looking right at Rhys... and _only_ at Rhys. And that made him swallow down again, memories flooding back. Rhys remembered how excited he was just to be caught in the man's field of vision – and now he was the _center_ of his attention.

  
  
_Jack is... He really is...  
  
  
_

"Looking at me..."- Rhys whispered, without even realizing it himself. Jack looked at him a thousand times already, so why was this one so…

 

The man across him cocked an eyebrow, tilting his head.

  
"What was that, pumpkin'?"

  
  
His voice was so much louder now, so much more clear. It made Rhys flinch back a little, if only the tiniest bit, his eyes blinking a few times, slowly returning back to reality. He has been so lost in the past, he completely neglected the present.

  
  
And Jack was... he really was _here_.

  
  
He didn't smell of his usual cologne and blood and gunmetal.

 

Instead, he smelled of something chemical, and had a fresh scent of leather about him. Probably from that new jacket. His clothes really stood out now that they were in color... He was brighter now, more vibrant, more alive.

 

He was just so damn…

 

 _Awesome._ _  
  
  
_

Jack simply blinked at Rhys, receiving no answer to his question. After another moment, he smiled, and just shook his head, -"I know you can't help it, kitten. I'm just that handsome, aren't I?"  
  
Rhys's eyes slowly scanned that soft smile, mesmerized, and his hand slowly reached out, up and towards that masked covered face. He clearly wasn't thinking straight- hell, he wasn't thinking _at all_ \- and Jack's eyes widened only for a split second, before the door to their office was burst open once again, and a group of panicking 'scientists' scattered in, flailing their arms about and yelling incomprehensible things.  


Rhys snapped his hand back before it could ever reach Jack's skin.

 

He could only guess that the intruders were actually scientists judging by their lab coats. They all looked kind of crazy to him.  


The lead scientist - the woman who seemed to be the most upset - ran up straight to Jack, with no hesitation whatsoever, and shoved some papers into his face.  
  
"Handsome Jack, sir, you can't just leave like that! We told you, the experimentations aren't over!"- She yelled, receiving a few approving nods from the scientists behind her.  
  
"And _I_ told you they are. I'm done,"- Jack rolled his eyes, pushing the papers away.

 

 _...What’s going on?_ _  
_

  
"But, sir, if something were to go wrong-"  
  
"You told me all the initial tests were positive, right?"  
  
"W-Well, yes, but-"  
  
"And I'm still alive - walking, talking, shitting, _whatever_ \- right!?"  
  
"I, um-"  
  
"Then what is the GODDAMN PROBLEM!?"- Jack shouted, and the scientists scattered around like cockroaches. Rhys was way too startled to even move, -"Get out."  
  
"But-"  
  
" _OUT_."  
  
Jack slammed the heavy doors behind them, sighing heavily.

 

"I should revoke their access to the office..."-He mumbled to himself, before turning to Rhys, -"Listen up kid - never trust scientists. It's easier to just airlock them out of your way."  


Rhys heard a distinct clicking noise just then and- _Wait, did Jack just lock the doors...?_

  
  
"Now, where were we..."

  
  
Jack slowly turned around, walking towards Rhys with that predatory smile of his. Rhys heard all sorts of alarm bells go off in his head, and took a step back, his heart suddenly beating way faster.  
  
"Ah, right. I believe I wanted to test out this great new body I got,"- Jack was standing close now, _too close_. They weren't actually touching, yet Rhys felt like he was going to suffocate from Jack's stare alone, -"Mind helping me with that, kitten?"  
  
He reached his hand out to touch Rhys's face, and Rhys instinctively took another step back. He was shaking.

“Oh, for the love of- I’m _not_ going to rip your throat out, you dickhead, so get over here-“- Jack tried again, but Rhys just kept moving out of the way and up the stairs.

 

That wasn’t… What he was worried about.

 

“Don’t you wanna have fun, cupcake?”- Jack kept on insisting, and Rhys felt his hands clench into fists.

 

  
  
_No...  
  
Not now..._

 _  
  
Not like this.  
_  
  
"J-Jack,"- He finally croaked, his voice shaky and weird in his throat, -"I-I can't..."  


Jack was surprised for only a split second. Then his eyebrows furrowed, and his expression was immediately darker. Rhys swallowed down, silently praying that the first touch he ever got from Jack wasn't actually gonna be his hands squeezing around his throat.  


" _What_ do you mean?"- He whispered, his voice dangerous. Everything in Rhys screamed for him to get out.

  
  
So this was the kind of man Handsome Jack really was.

  
  
No wonder everyone respected him... and feared him all the same.

  
"I just... Not right now. I'm..."- Rhys shut his eyes close, his legs bumping against the desk. Wow, he walked back pretty far.

  
  
Jack wasn't saying anything for a moment, the air between them thick with tension. Rhys allowed himself to squeeze one eye open to observe his expression, but Jack's face was turned away.  


"...Fine,"- He finally said, walking past Rhys, -"Whatever."  


_..._

 

_Whatever...?_

 

  
"Fine?"- Rhys blinked at him, properly in shock.

 

Was this... it?

  
"Yeah, fine. What else do you expect me to say?"  
  
Rhys hesitated, looking around for a moment. What _did_ he expect to happen?

 

“I-“

"What, kid, you thought I was gonna  _force_ myself on you? What kind of a man do you think I am?"- He asked, plopping down on his chair, throwing his arms behind his head, -"I mean, unless you're into that kind of stuff, which _is_ pretty gross-"  
  
"Um, no, I- Definitely not,"- Rhys was quick to mumble, before turning away.

 

So this was really it, then.

  
"Yeah, okay. Now get the hell out of my office, will ya?"- Jack waved him off, and Rhys was way too disoriented to argue.

  
  
He was out the door and in the elevator in the next few seconds, wondering ' _what now'_.

 

• • • •

 

_Okay, alright, cool._

_  
  
So Handsome Jack has a body now, no biggie._

_  
  
I'm totally cool with that._

  
  
Except Rhys wasn't and he knew it.  
  
He spent the next two and a half hours mindlessly wandering around the halls of Helios, thinking about who knows what.  
  
He checked up on a couple of things here and there, talked to a couple of people, made some probably important decisions, but his mind was nowhere near his body. Rhys didn't even know _where_ it was.

  
  
He was thinking about everything in the world, and yet about nothing at all at the same time.

  
  
It was tiring.  


By the time he actually snapped out of it, he realized that he's been wandering mindlessly only because he had nowhere to go. _Because he was kicked out of his own office._  


_Damn Jack, taking advantage of my confusion-_  


And Rhys was pissed now, heading straight for the elevator and interrupting his chat with Tara short. She probably thought he was crazy, judging by how he just got this weird, scary face in the middle of a sentence about charity foundations, and then suddenly turned around and without a word made his way to the elevator, angrily pressing the button.

  
  
"Uh... Rhys?"- She called after him, but he was already on the way up to _HIS_ office, t _hankyouverymuch._

  
  
Jack wasn't exactly his boss anymore. He couldn't just do this to him.  
  
It was annoying. It was _seriously_ making him pissed.

  
  
But all of those feelings were forgotten as soon as Rhys found himself standing in front of those giant doors again.  


Jack was... on the other side. The _real_ Jack.  


No more yelling at holograms (or thin air, from other people’s perspectives). It was the real deal, and he was going to face him....

 

And if Jack didn't like what he had to say, he would certainly have a pair of hands around his throat, or a gun to his head.  


It wasn't like Jack couldn't kill him before any time he wanted to, but somehow seeing him in the flesh made the threat way too real.

  
  
...  


How _did_ he get a body anyway!?

  
The curiosity, mixed with previous annoyances, made Rhys finally throw open the giant doors.

  
He was expecting to see Jack how he always imagined him – sitting in his chair like a king on his throne, maybe reading over some papers with a serious look on his face, aura of importance and grandeur all around him.

 

Instead what he found was...

  
"Oh, he-ey there, Rhysie!"- Jack waved at him from behind the desk.

  
  
He was sitting down, scrunched over, a jar of water by his side and a glass in his hand.

 

He was... just... pouring water all over his arm...?

 

Rhys watched with wide eyes as he wiggled his fingers under the stream, looking like an overly enthusiastic child, discovering an interesting toy for the first time.  


Rhys was so caught off guard, he momentarily forgot why he even came in the first place.  


"Wha... What are you doing?"- He asked, mouth hanging open, tilting his head to the side in question. Was this some kind of a trick or...?

  
"Man, kiddo, you won't believe how much I _missed_ feeling things,"- Jack wasn't even looking at him anymore, solely focused on his endeavor, -"This is _amazing!_ Come here, I'll show you."  
  
Rhys didn't argue, slowly making his way up the stairs and over to where Jack was sitting, his eyes watching Jack’s every move. Suddenly, a part of his brain seemed to wake up and remember why he was here, but he was still way too fixated on Jack's actions to give his voice any strength.  
  
"You kicked me out of my own office,"- He simply stated, crossing the last few steps between him and the desk.  
  
"Yeah, I was wondering how long it'll take you to notice. Heh, watch this…"- Jack then suddenly took a hold of Rhys's flesh hand, and, without warning, started pouring the remaining water all over it.

  
Rhys flinched, not so much because of the water, but because of the contact.

 

Jack's hand was wet and kind of cold. His skin was rough, yet undeniably real, and his touch was... uncharacteristically gentle. It was as though he couldn't control his strength and was afraid of damaging Rhys.

  
  
He was so gentle, it was a bit frightening, really.

  
  
And Jack looked just as enthralled by their touch as Rhys felt. He was tracing his fingers all over his hand, his thumbs circling Rhys's palm. He turned it over then, throwing the rest of the water on his hand.

 

He made a giant puddle on the table.

  
  
"How'd that feel?"- He whispered, raising his eyes up to meet Rhys's.

  
  
He didn't let go of his hand.

  
  
"Wet,"- Rhys simply commented, unable to look away from Jack's gaze.

  
  
He _still_ didn't let go of his hand.

  
"Exactly! Isn't that amazing?"  
  
Jack seemed to be really pleased. Maybe... not being able to touch anything really was as horrible as Jack described it. It would certainly make you feel way less human... right?  
  
So it was no wonder he wanted to re-experience all sorts of contacts now, but...

  
_Why was he STILL holding onto his hand!?  
  
_

  
"Hey, Rhys..."- Jack suddenly said, voice low and serious and _heavy_. He was looking down at the puddle on the table, his eyebrows furrowed. He seemed to be deep in thought, and that made Rhys's stomach twist. The atmosphere between them was ridiculously tense, and this wasn't something that should just happen between business partners...

Right?

 

He was asking too many questions again.  
  
  
  
And their hands were so warm together.  
  
  
  
Jack’s expression was unreadable, his features colored blue by the glow of the cosmos outside the office window. Was it always this dark in here..?

Jack looked up at him, the Elpis light reflecting off of his mask. And suddenly, Rhys’s cyborg arm was moving on its own- well, not really on its own, it was Rhys who was moving it, but hell, he _certainly_ wasn't thinking.

He was touching Jack's face then, feeling the other man flinch.  


His face felt... Kinda weirdly smooth. It was still real, still skin, yet... There was something about it that seemed off… Something about his eyes, maybe. Maybe it was the way it didn't feel anything like his hand. Or was it his lips...?  
  
Jack's wide eyes slowly rose up to meet Rhys's, as he raised his eyebrows in question. Rhys suddenly knew that not many people got to touch Jack's mask and live.... Jack's mouth parted just a little, and Rhys took a deep breath.

  
  
And then, before he knew it, he was leaning in, closing the distance between them.  
  
  
Rhys's lips met Jack's in an instant.  
  
  
  
And then they were kissing.  
  
  
...

 

Well, maybe.  


Not really, seeing as his entire body froze in shock at the contact, and his brain and heart turned to fire. He heard a voice yelling in the back of his head _what the fuck are you doing, you idiot, you're the one who started this don't freeze up now-_  
  
But all his protests were hushed as he felt Jack's lips slowly move against his own, and Jack was kissing him back now, and his heart was beating so fast, _too fast_ , it almost hurt.  
  
His lips felt cold, smooth, way too smooth against his rough, chapped ones, but they were perfect nevertheless, and so _Jack_ he felt like he was going to burst. His every sense, every inch of his skin, his every breath - everything was too much, too overwhelming.  
  
He felt Jack's grip on his other hand loosen up, and he brought it up to cup Jack’s face, run his thumbs against his cheekbones, feel the ridges of his mask, and then lose his hands in his hair. His hair that felt like cotton and silk- Rhys wondered for a moment if he even used hair gel.  
  
  
Jack brought his own arms around Rhys, pulling him closer, on top of the desk, so now Rhys was half sitting half kneeling above him. His pants were getting wet, soaking through with the spilled water, but that didn't matter, because Jack was practically hugging him, and _god_ , that felt like heaven. Jack's hands got caught up in Rhys's vest- because today just HAD to be the day he wore an extra layer of clothing- and then traveled underneath it, curling his fists in his shirt, pulling him in even closer.  
  
Jack's tongue was licking at his lips, and Rhys readily opened his mouth, sliding his own inside Jack's.  
  
Jack was really... passionate about this.  
  
He was biting at Rhys's lip, pulling back, his eyes half-lidded, watching as a thick blush spread over Rhys's face. A soft whimper escaped Rhys’s lips, and he was sure he was going to die of embarrassment, but Jack only chuckled, low and heady, his breath caught up with Rhys's own.  
  
"I guess you really _do_ like me, huh, kid?"- He laughed, making Rhys avert his eyes.

  
  
What the hell... was he even doing anymore...

  
  
He literally couldn't keep his hands away when it came to Jack. He just kind of... allowed his emotions to take over for a second. And the next thing he knew, he was now in Jack's lap, with the other man kissing and biting at his neck. His brain was swimming, eyes clouded over with lust, his body shaking with anticipation and... what he could only describe as warmth. Jack made him feel warm...

  
  
He tugged at the man's collar, his fingers traveling beneath it, gently touching at the soft material of the orange undershirt. It was... Hyperion issued, wasn't it...?

  
Rhys realized that he noticed the strangest details when Jack was kissing him like that.  


Like how his breath smelt like peppermint, or how he was getting Jack's pants wet now as well because of all that water. Jack found a particularly sensitive spot on Rhys's neck, sucking and nipping at it gently, and Rhys moaned softly, pressing his hips forward.

  
  
Wait... No... _No_.

 

He said so himself. Not today.

 

He wasn't going to do it.

  
"Jack..."- Rhys breathed out, heavy and wet against the other man's ear, and he could swear he felt Jack shiver.

 

It was... the most arousing thing he has ever felt.  


"Jack, enough,"- He said, forcefully pulling back. _Not any further. Not now._ _  
_  
Jack looked at him with disappointment, maybe even something bordering on anger, -"What's the big deal, cupcake? We're just getting to the good part."  
  
  
Rhys just shook his head, placing his hands on the chair on both sides of Jack's head, and outstretched his arms, -"I... I need to think."  
  
Jack gave an annoyed huff, placing his own hands on the chair's handles, and leaned back, looking up at Rhys with an unimpressed stare.

  
“You sure do love testing my patience.”

It’s not like Rhys wanted to stop. He didn't want to stop. In fact, he wanted the very opposite of stop.

Which would be go.  
  
He wanted to keep going. But there were things that had to be considered, and thoughts to be thought, and questions to be asked.  


Besides, it was enough for today.

 

Didn't want to overwhelm Jack on his first (official) day back.  


"I, uh- I need to ask you... things,"- He mumbled. Neither of them really bothered to move or get off, so it was kind of awkward. Yet at the same time, it was kind of perfect just the way it was.  
  
"Ask away, baby. But make it quick, I have work to return to,"- Jack was suddenly looking bored with everything that was going on, and Rhys kinda wished he could get rid of that mask, because then he could see whether the other man was at the very least blushing or not.  
  
"No, um- Later. It's... a lot of things. I also have work to return to. Right,"- Rhys was starting to get off the man's lap, receiving an even more disappointed huff in return. At least he didn't seem to be too angry, -"Let's meet up later, maybe? When we both have time?"  
  
Jack raised an eyebrow at that and smirked, giving a low chuckle, -"If you wanted to go on a date with me, dollface, all you had to do was ask."  
  
"What- No- I- D-Date!? How'd you get date from all of that!?"- He stuttered, mentally noting the new nickname, -"I just- Things. Discuss. Later."  
  
Jack looked amused by his eloquence. If only Rhys felt the same way...  


In any case, there was still...

  
  
"There is just one thing... A thing I need to ask right now."  
  
"Hm?"

  
  
Before getting his hopes up, before preparing himself for anything and everything and nothing at all, Rhys had to know...

  
"Am I- Oh god, how do I ask this without sounding lame… Ah, well, here goes nothing,"- He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and said it as loud and clear as he possibly could, -"Am I j-just another one of your many playthings?"  
  
Jack was surprised for a second, his eyes growing wider, lips parting in shock. After a moment, he stood up then, slowly. His expression grew serious,and he was looking at Rhys in that stupid gentle way of his that made Rhys’s stomach flutter.  
  
"Alright, listen, kid. You may not know this... Hell, no one knows this-"- He said walking around the desk, hands crossed on his chest, -"-but I have never, ever, even _once_ cheated on a person that I loved."

  
  
For some reason, that statement swept Rhys away from his feet for a moment. He inhaled sharply, and turned around to look Jack in the eye.

  
  
And boy, did he look _serious._

  
  
_This is a disaster._

  
  
Rhys couldn't fucking stop smiling just then.  He was ridiculously happy.

 

It was... kind of everything he ever wanted to hear, in that one sentence.  


He simply nodded, quickly making his way down the stairs.

  
  
"Now it's my turn to ask you something,"- Jack said, his smirk growing wider.

 

  
_Well, shit._

  
  
This was spelling trouble all over the place, wasn't it...  
  
Rhys stopped in his tracks, turning back once again, preparing for the worst.

  
  
"Y-Yes...?"

  
  
Jack simply pointed to the wet stain on his pants, with the straightest face imaginable.

  
  
"So tell me, Rhysie, do you always get us, girls, wet and then just up and leave like that?"

 

• • • •

 

  
Rhys was still in stitches half an hour later.  

  
  
_What the hell was with that ridiculous tone of voice!?  
  
_

  
Jack made his voice a few pitches higher to sound like a girl, but he sounded more like a strangled skag. It was the funniest thing Rhys heard all day.

  
  
And here he was worried his and Jack's relationship wouldn't be the same.

  
  
He was still the same weirdo Handsome Jack that he was in his head, despite the menacing aura around him. And maybe he was even better now that Rhys could kiss him...

  
  
_Could I??_

  
  
God, he really _did_ need to think.  
  
But he’s done enough of that for the rest of his life. So maybe, rather, he really needed to not think.

 

Unthink.

  
  
And when he needed to unthink, there was no place better than-

  
  
"Vaaaaaughn,"- He whined, banging on his friend's front door, -"I know you're in there, open up."

  
  
The said man opened the door in a couple of moments, annoyed expression all over his face, -"What the hell, Rhys, you'll wake the neighbors- Are you drunk!?"  
  
Yes, _maybe_ he had a drink or two before coming over, and yes, _maybe_ he wasn't exactly stable on his own two feet, but that didn't mean he was drunk. In fact, he was very undrunk. The undrunkest he's ever been.  
  
"Vaaaaaaughn, I have a prooooblem,"- Rhys drawled, throwing his hands over his best friend.  
  
"Go whine somewhere else, I have a long day tomorrow,"- He said sternly, giving Rhys a pat on the back nevertheless.  
  
"I brought beer,"- Rhys smiled, handing over the shopping bag to Vaughn. He knew Vaughn couldn't refuse beer.  


And he didn't.  


Rhys was falling down on his best friend’s bed in no time.  


"So, Rhys. Tell your therapist what's up,"- Vaughn said in a deep mocking voice, sitting down on the chair opposite the bed and crossing his legs over in a professional manner. He locked his fingers over his knee, and scrunched up his nose, truly looking like a therapist. He then opened a beer, and took a very, very long sip, stroking his beard at the same time.  
  
Rhys smiled at his friend – he always knew how to cheer him up.

 

But then, when it came to the actual issue... _Ugh._

  
He stuffed his face into a pillow, hoping that maybe somewhere along the way it'll suffocate him and he wouldn't have to deal with his problems anymore.  
  
"Vaaaaaaaaaughn,"- Rhys whined again, his voice muffled by the pillow. He could practically hear his friend rolling his eyes, -"It's teeeeerrible."  
  
"What is?"  
  
"Jack is."  
  
"Yeah, but hey, what else is new?"  
  
"...Jack, actually. Jack is new."  
  
  
He heard Vaughn place the beer on the table and lean forward in his chair. It sounded like he was beginning to pay attention - after all, it wasn't often that Rhys complained about Jack. Or rather, it was _often_ , but not in this manner.  
  
This was one of their special ‘therapy’ sessions. The last time they had one was when he broke up with Stacey... God, that seemed so long ago now.

  
  
"What do you mean?"- Vaughn asked, his voice full of concern. So, he didn't know, huh... Maybe nobody knew yet, -"He returned?"

  
Right. After all, Jack was missing for an entire week. Of course, most of the regular employees weren't informed of their missing newly reinstated CEO, but Vaughn wasn't a regular employee. Being friends with the other new boss had its privileges.  
  
"Yeah... He sure did,"- Rhys stomach grew uneasy with the memory of the kiss and Jack's hands on his back. The way they desperately tried to pull him closer... _God..._  


"C'mon, Rhys, spit it out,"- Vaughn nudged his shoulder, growing impatient.  


Rhys sighed into the pillow, his breath warming up its surface, and then deeply inhaled. _Well, here it goes-_ _  
_  
"Handsomejackhasanewbody,"- He spat out, kinda hoping Vaughn would get it all in one go, kinda hoping he wouldn't. But never underestimate the power of a best friend.  
  
"Handsome Jack has _what!?"_ \- He stood up so fast the chair got knocked over from underneath him, his voice raising up higher with every word, -"Rhys, how!? Is that- Is that even possible?"  
  
"I guess,"- Rhys mumbled, plopping his chin down on the pillow. He was running out of air, stuffing his face in there.  
  
"But- What does it mean?"- Vaughn continued, now pacing around the room, -"Have you seen him yet? Oh my god, is he as terrifying as ever?"  
  
"I don't know, yes, and yes,"- Rhys answered the questions in a row, knowing very well his friend was going to be in this state for a while.  
  
"Why did Jack get a body all of a sudden? Does he plan on stealing your job from you? Will he kick you out?"  
  
"I don't know, we have the same job, and most probably not."  
  
"Did you talk already? Wait- Did he hurt you? What if- What if he'll murder you, Rhys!? He can murder you now, can't he!?"- Vaughn was shaking him by the shoulders, and Rhys already felt himself sobering up.  
  
He pushed his friend away with a disgruntled sigh, dropping down on the bed on his back, -"Quit it, Vaughn. He could've murdered me any time, this isn't the issue here."

Vaughn looked at him for a moment in confusion, then turned to pick up his chair and sat back down in it. He blinked a few times, his panic calming down.

  
"Um... If threat of strangulation and painful suffocation isn't the issue here, then what, exactly, is?"

Rhys stared at the ceiling for a moment in silence, and then it suddenly hit him. How the _fuck_ was he going to tell Vaughn about this!?

  
_"Hey, haha, so yeah, I made out with Jack and we're consistently hooking up now."  
  
_

  
Ugh, _gross-_

  
  
Coming here was a bad idea. Bad, bad, _bad_ idea.

  
  
Then again, he had nowhere left to go.  


Rhys's face grew red as he thought about Jack's lips on his own, his tongue sliding into his mouth, warm and wet and-

  
He threw a pillow on his face, muffling a loud scream.

  
  
"Rhys..?"- Vaughn suddenly was looking more bewildered than anything else. Also concerned - for his friend's mental health, that is.  
  
"Jack has a body now, Vaughn. A _BODY_ ,"- Rhys told him, flailing his arms around, the pillow still on his face, -"READ THE SITUATION, VAUGHN."  
  
Vaughn's eye twitched, his mouth dropping down a little. He truly had no clue what was going on.  
  
"Oookay, I'm reading, I'm reading... Yeeeah, still not reading it."  
  
Rhys turned his face towards the wall, letting out another muffled scream. Vaughn just hoped he could maybe find the answer somewhere on Rhys's body, maybe marks of strangulation, or any sort of abuse, or-

  
…

 

"W-W-W-Wait, Rhys... Is that- Is that a hickey!?"  


Rhys shot up from his lying position, immediately covering his neck with both his hands.

  
"N-No-"- He stuttered, his face probably redder than the surface of Pandora.  


"Where the hell did you even-?"- Vaughn looked at him incredulously, and Rhys could practically see his brain placing the pieces of the puzzle together.

  
  
Sure, he wanted his friend to figure it out without outright telling him, but not like this. _God, this was a bad idea_.

  
  
"I- Uh, okay, so, um- Uh, well- I-"- Rhys tried to tie a coherent sentence together, he really did, but then decided to just retreat into a fetal position, his arms hugging his knees. He hid his face behind his arms, hoping that it would just _click_ with Vaughn already.

 

This was _agony._

  
  
"Wait... Don't tell me..."- Finally, _finally_ Vaughn was getting it, -"Rhys... _No._  No, Rhys, c'mon!? You can't be serious!?"

  
  
Yep, _there_ it was. His voice sounded _scandalized_.

 

It would be funny, if only it wasn't directed at Rhys.

  
"Really!? _You_ \- And- And _Jack_ \- No, dude, ugh- _Gross_ ,"- Vaughn was pacing again, making weird faces, and Rhys fell on his side, covering his head with a blanket, -"Ugh, seriously...? Like, _really_? Rhys, he's like, a hundred years old!"  
  
"He's no older than his early forties,"- Rhys mumbled, but somehow that didn't make him feel any better.  
  
"Ugh, dude, so that hickey- _Duuuude_."

Vaughn made a barfing noise, and Rhys felt like he was about to cry.

  
  
He fucked up, didn't he.  
  
  
"Do you hate me now?"- He whispered, further cowering into the blanket.

“Yeah, yeah. That- That about just summarizes how I feel right now,”- Vaughn finally stopped walking, placing both hands on his hips, -"I regret making all those jokes with Yvette- Oh, I regret them  _so_ much..."

 

He then took a moment to process what was actually going on. Okay, so, his best friend was sleeping with the CEO of the company he worked for. No big deal, right?

Wait, were they even sleeping together? Or was it just… kissing?

“Urgh, gross,”- Vaughn shivered at the thought. Somehow _just_ kissing was a way more horrible prospect than sleeping together, -“Wait, is _that_ how you got your job!? Through sleeping with him?”

“What? Vaughn- _NO_ \- Ugh, not you too… Oh my god…”

“Me _too?_ Somebody else said that?”

“No... Only the voices in my head.”

Vaughn was properly freaked now, his expression terrified.

 

His best friend lost it. It was official.

 

“No, dude, don’t look at me like that- I meant, when I think about what people are going to say if they find out. Everyone is going to say I slept with him to get my position. And I didn’t even sleep with him!”

“So, you _didn’t_ have sex with him?”- Vaughn was blunt, and that made Rhys grunt under the blanket.

“Ugh, no, bro…You don’t wanna know the answer to that.”

“So you _did!?_ ”

“No, but- God, _please_ , don’t make me say any more.”

“Yeah, yeah, okay, you’re right,”- Vaughn clapped his hands together, sitting back down on the chair, -“I think I am traumatized enough for one evening.”

 

Rhys finally sat up, removing the blanket from his face. He was certain it was still red, but there wasn’t anything else left to hide for him. Vaughn was looking down at the ground, and they sat in silence for a couple of moments. Maybe it really was a mistake coming here… Maybe Vaughn really did hate him now.

 

Another moment passed, and Rhys momentarily wondered whether he should just get up and leave, when Vaughn suddenly started speaking.

 

“Y’know, I always thought if Jack really did murder you, I would at the very least attend your funeral... And now what? Will I have to attend your _wedding?”_

 

Rhys didn’t know why, but that made him burst into laughter.  

 

If his best friend was making jokes, it meant that not all was lost.

 

“Well... I can’t exactly have my wedding without my bridesmaid.”

“ _Bridesmaid!?_ Not even best man?”

“I don’t think Jack will fit into a wedding gown.”

 

Vaughn eyebrows shot up at that imagery, and then both of them were on the floor, laughing at the idea of a ‘blushing bride Jack’. Vaughn threw a beer over at Rhys, grabbing his own, and they toasted each other for a happy wedding.

 

“You gotta admit, though, I would rock the shit out of a wedding gown and high heels,”- Rhys said, smirking proudly.

“You both could wear gowns. Hell, everyone should wear dresses, for that matter. I’d look good in a lavender skirt. “

“Nah, dude, blue’s totally your color. Besides, if we both wear gowns, I’d be totally outshining Jack, and that’s reason for murder right there.”

Vaughn snorted, taking another sip. They were sitting opposite each other on the floor now, drinking their beer, and the tension previously filling up the room dissipated with their laughter.

“Why are we talking about weddings, anyway?”- Rhys asked, nudging Vaughn’s side with his foot, -“Jack and I kissed, like, once-”

“Ew- Okay, ew, please stop giving me these images. I don’t wanna have to bleach my brain just yet.”

Rhys lightly kicked him then, and his friend kicked him back, -"It's all because of you and Yvette."

"Don't you  _dare_ blame this on us, Rhys. We were only joking, not giving you  _suggestions_." 

 

Rhys only chuckled, taking a long sip of his beer. They sat in silence for a while, each staring at the floor and thinking about their own thing. 

In the next moment, however, Vaughn’s face suddenly grew darker, expression becoming more serious. He turned his face to the side, taking a deep breath.

“Rhys… How do you know that it’s okay? To trust Jack like that, I mean,”- He turned to face Rhys once again, and his eyes were full of unsaid concern, -“You, of all people, know his reputation when it comes to…”

 

Rhys remained silent for a while. Yeah, he knew all too well. But…

 

“Jack… He told me…”

 

 _That he never cheated on a person he loved_.

 

And that alone implied several things – first of which being that everything he ever knew about Handsome Jack is a big fat lie, constructed by people who didn’t know him at all. It also meant that all those tales about Jack being seen with several women at a time, especially while he was married or dating, were also lies.

And finally, it implied that Jack… loved Rhys. And that he wouldn’t cheat on him.

 

Otherwise, why bother saying that..?

 

But no, it couldn’t be right.

 

It was way too early for love.

 

Rhys has been obsessed with Jack for years now, and even he wouldn’t dare call whatever he was feelings ‘love’. Was Jack even capable of loving another human being besides himself?

 

Well, according to Jack himself, he was.

 

So maybe no, Jack wasn’t exactly _in love_ with Rhys just yet. But there was a possibility that he _could_ be in love with Rhys – he could really, truly fall for him. And Jack himself _acknowledged_ it.

 

That thought made Rhys’s head spin a little, his breath caught in his throat.

 

“Rhys..?”- Vaughn asked in concern, as the silence stretched on between them.

 

“I trust Jack,”- Rhys finally answered, downing the remaining beer in one gulp.

 

Vaughn only gravely nodded in response, -"And I trust you, bro."

 

That was all that mattered, really.

 

He knew it was probably a bad decision that he was making here, probably not the sanest direction to go.

 

But all of that could go to hell right now.

 

He would deal with all the ‘what ifs’ and ‘maybes’ and ‘buts’ later. Right now, his best friend accepted him, and Jack accepted the possibility of him, and that was all that mattered.

Vaughn silently offered him his fist, and Rhys lightly knocked it with his own, smiling at his friend.

“Oh, and, one more thing- Vaughn, _please_ , don’t tell Yvette, okay? I feel she would murder me if she found out.”

 

Vaughn's eyes grew wider for a second, and he looked away, hiding his face.

 

“…Whoops.”

 

Rhys felt himself shudder.

 

“Oh, bro… _What did you do?_ ”- He whispered, as Vaughn desperately tried to hide under his table.

“I may or may not have already texted-“

 

Vaughn was interrupted by a loud noise, indicating that someone was calling Rhys on his Echocom.

 

He had a good idea of who it was.

 

Swallowing hard, he brought up his cyborg arm to his face, and pressed the answer button. Yvette was on the other end, her face looking as outraged as Rhys imagined it to be, mouth agape and eyebrows furrowed. Rhys took inhaled sharply, pursuing his lips. Oh boy, here it comes-

 

“ _For fuck's sake, Rhys - y_ _ou did WHAT!?”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> anyone remember that voice Jack used when he was teasing Rhys by speaking through Vaughn's crotch?? y'know, in the scene that happened if you don't tell Vaughn about Jack?? anyone?
> 
> yeah, that's the one
> 
> anyway
> 
> i love making people wait 12 chapters before the first kiss ehehe


	13. Chapter 13

Waking up with a hangover wasn't usually that bad - but when you had to go to work the next day, the sweet release of death was practically calling your name.  
  
Rhys kicked Vaughn out of bed as soon as he realized they were going to be late, the other falling down on the floor with a loud thud. Sleeping over at each other's places was common practice for them ever since they stopped being college roommates, and so was sleeping in one bed (once you got used to Vaughn's snoring, it was like he wasn't even there). It was even more common whenever either one of them got too drunk, and the other had to carry him back home.  
  
Well, last night they were both kinda drunk, and both completely disregarded their alarm clocks this morning.

 

It was especially difficult to wake up, considering they were talking to Yvette throughout the night, trying to convince her that _yes_ , Rhys was, in fact, still sane. Although, Rhys doubted that himself from time to time... But he didn’t need his friends doubting it with him. Yvette finally let go, making Rhys promise to keep her updated on anything that happens (and that usually just meant she wanted all the dirty details).

 

Rhys still couldn’t believe she made him admit everything, uh- _sexual_ , that happened between him and Jack, He hadn’t seen Vaughn look that traumatized in years, but Yvette seemed to be enjoying every second of it.

 

At the very least she had the decency to wake them up in the morning when their alarm clocks couldn’t.

  
  
So when Rhys finally arrived at the office, he was an hour late.

 

 

 _Great going, idiot,_ he thought, bursting through the doors, _Jack just gets back, and you already manage to fuck up._

  
  
"I'm so sorry I'm late, I-"- Rhys cried out in between deep breaths, but stopped when he realized he was speaking to an empty room.  


Jack... wasn't there again.  


_Oh, c'mon- Really?_

 

_Again!?_

  
"Jack?"- He called out, hoping the man could hear him from somewhere else in the station, before remembering, -"-Wait, shit, he isn't in the system anymore."  
  
Rhys looked around the office, but it was pretty much the same as usual... Except, the photo of his daughter Jack usually kept on the desk was gone.

 

Weird.

  
  
Bringing up his Echocom, Rhys realized he had two missed calls from Jack already. And he slept right through them.

 

_Well, fuck._

  
  
"Hey, pumpkin'. You look like shit,"- Jack smiled at him from the other end of the line, and Rhys already deliberated hanging up, -"Rough night?"

It was weird seeing him in color and not monochrome blue. That would take some getting used to.

  
"Something like that,"- Rhys mumbled in reply, running a hand through his hair, -"Where are you, anyway?"  
  
Rhys tried to figure out Jack's location by his background, but he couldn't recognize anything. It didn't look like Helios at all.

"Well..."- Jack began, hesitantly rubbing at his neck, -"A few... _things_ came up, and I'm down on Elpis now. Think you can handle things up there on your own?"  
  
Rhys simply stared, mouth agape. _Unbelievable-_

  
  
"Is this- Is this a common trend now?"  


"Huh-?"

  
"Are you always going to run off without a single word!?"  


Rhys knew he didn't exactly have the right to be angry. It was Jack's work-  _his_ work too for that matter, and if things came up, they had to be dealt with. Jack had no responsibility to inform him of these things, he would find out about them eventually anyway, but-  
  
It still hurt a little.

 

Especially after everything that happened. 

  
  
"Uh, hello, dumdum, why do you think I called this morning?"- Jack rolled his eyes, his sounding annoyed, -“Gee, kid, stop making me out to be some kind of an asshole.”

Rhys thought about it for a moment, and then nearly slapped himself.

  
"Right..."- He mumbled instead, biting down his lip.

 

Every misunderstanding always seemed to turn out to be his own damn fault nowadays, especially when it came to Jack. Maybe he should just stop accusing everyone of everything for once…

 

He was not in a good emotional place these days.

  
  
"How long are you gonna be there for?"  
  
"Until tomorrow."  
  
_Oh thank god._

At least Rhys wouldn't have to live through last week’s hell again. After all, dealing with Hyperion should be easier with Jack by his side.

"...And then I'm off to visit another station, not far away, and then one of the Edens-“- Jack continued, massaging his left shoulder with his right hand, -“I can never remember which one. Really, you'd think they have more names to give planets than just friggin' 'Eden'."

  
  
Rhys's heart immediately sank at that.

 

So, he’ll all by himself again, huh. That kinda sucked.

But at least he actually knew where Jack was now. That should be a relief, right? He could speak to him and ask questions, if necessary, and maybe even get him to participate in some meetings through Echocoms…

 

…

  
  
So why the fuck did he still feel so empty!?

 

  
"Aw, don't look at me like that, babydoll,"- Jack chuckled. Rhys must've been pouting, because Jack got that soft look on his stupid face again, -"I'll be back before you know it. But for now I leave Helios in your hands, partner."  
  
Jack winked and Rhys only nodded, hanging up.

 

He was feeling a little better already.

 

After all, he was Jack's... partner.  
  
Not necessarily in the sense that made Rhys's stomach flutter, but he word always had those connotations, didn't it?

  
  
He sat down on his chair, dialing up Tara. He had a very,  _very_ long week ahead of him.

 

• • • •

 

It's not that he didn't understand why Jack had to make those trips - no, he really did.

  
It's just that he wished he didn't because, dammit, it was lonely here without him.

_Lonely?_

  
Wait, no- Just that it was just difficult to deal with things on his own.

 

Yeah, he meant difficult. Definitely difficult.

  
  
Troublesome.

  
  
_Ruling Hyperion was troublesome, okay!?_

And he knew he sounded like the biggest dick in the world, but this CEO bullshit was exhausting.  


  
Rhys met up with the management, this time to discuss why exactly Jack had to go anywhere at all.  


And apparently it was due to the 'anti-Jack' hate groups that were popping up all over the galaxy (but mostly on Pandora).  


It wasn't like they were news, not really. Ever since Jack died, people decided to create the so-called 'peace groups' to prevent someone like that raising to power again. Most of these groups were not exactly so much _pro-peace_ , but rather just _anti-Jack_. Which was kind of stupid, considering Jack was dead at the time.  
  
It was just a bunch of people with no balls to actually stand up to Jack taking a stance after the man wasn't there anymore.

 

Rhys always thought it was stupid.

 

But now that Jack was alive, those groups actually gained a meaning.  
  
Most of them had fallen apart the second news of Jack's revival hit the street, but some of the bigger, more insistent ones remained.  
  
It's not that Rhys thought that people who stood up against Jack and Hyperion weren't brave - it's just that he _knew_ they were completely and utterly unreasonable.   
  
Most of them weren't anyone significant - they weren't Vault Hunters or some outstanding people, and most of them weren't even bandits. They were just a group of completely ordinary people, with no resources, weapons, strategy, or aim. Their entire purpose was to get rid of Jack, through any means necessary.

Actually, mostly just through whining and large, annoying protests.

  
Rhys wasn't going to rule as a tyrant, he knew that much already, so, being the reasonable human being that he was, he listened to their demands.

  
  
And it was probably the single most exhausting decision he ever made.

  
  
Every single conversation with them went something along the lines of:  


_"What do you want?"_  
  
"We wanna get rid of Jack!"  
  
"Why?"  
  
"We want peace!"  
  
"Jack had already died once, and peace wasn't restored. In fact, Hyperion was thrown into chaos, and that ultimately hurt all its neighbors, including Pandora and Elpis. Do you have any suggestions on how to restore peace?"  
  
"Yeah! Get rid of Jack!"  


Rinse and repeat.  
  
_Over and over._  
  
By the end of the day, Rhys was practically shaking with annoyance at their incompetence. It was ridiculously frustrating.

  
  
The worst thing was, he couldn't even talk to any of his friends about it.   
  
Tara only nodded and hummed whenever he tried to complain to her. Yvette smacked him on the head and told him to ‘man up’ already. Vaughn didn't exactly understand his annoyances - _"You're the president, dude, quit whining"_. He would, of course, listen and offer support, and sometimes complain about his own work with the accounting department. But, in the end, their occupations were just too far apart. Rhys didn't mean to sound like a snob, but… Well, there was only one other person to understand the work it took to be the CEO of Hyperion. 

  
  
So, while calls from Jack at first were just straight up annoying, now they were a necessity to his mental and emotional well-being.

  
  
Rhys found on numerous occasions to be the one dialing Jack instead of the other way around, and they would spend hours upon hours talking, venting, and just, well, gossiping about whatever the hell was going on in their lives at the moment.  
  
Even now, as Rhys was walking down the hallway, over to his apartment, he was chatting up Jack on his Echocom, telling him about yet another meeting with the 'peace group'.

  
"-And you wouldn't BELIEVE what he said to me just then!"  
  
"Hmm, let me take a wild guess and say... 'Get rid of Handsome Jack'?"  
  
" _How_ did you know?"- Rhys asked, voice dripping with sarcasm, making Jack laugh, -"You _must_ be psychic."  
  
"You see, kid, this is why I just shoot them in the head instead of asking questions."  
  
Rhys knew Jack was only half-joking when he said that, but he smiled nevertheless. He didn't want to ruin this atmosphere.

  
  
He didn't know why he always expected it to be awkward with Jack after they did something… _weird_  or whatever, but somehow he was always proven wrong. Jack was always being Jack, no matter what happened between them, and for that Rhys was immensely grateful.

  
  
Rhys searched his pockets for his keycard for a second, opening up his apartment and turning on the lights.

"Honestly, Jack, how the hell do you keep up with all of them."

  
"The universe is full of idiots, cupcake. You either learn to deal with them or you become one of them."  
  
Rhys chuckled, placing a pot on the stove and pouring water inside. Talking to Jack while making dinner now was almost as natural as breathing.

  
  
"Wise words-"  
  
"-From a wise man."  
  
"Well, I don't know about that. How's Eden-insert-number?"  
  
"Six, I think. Maybe five, I already forgot. Anyway, it sucks. The atmosphere is annoying."  
  
"Yeah? I don't think I've been there yet."  
  
"Yeah, we're not going here for our honeymoon, that's for sure."

Rhys felt his cheeks heat up for a moment, a tad too many pasta strands falling out of his hands and into the pot.

"Y-Yeah, you're taking me to the beach,"- He finally managed to collect himself, responding with a joke of his own. He was only half-hoping they were actually joking.  
  
"Sounds good to me. Which one of the Edens had a beach again...? Agh, whatever. What are you-"

Rhys heard a noise off the side of Jack's screen, and the man sharply turned around, looking at something unseen.

"What!?"- He barked, clearly annoyed, and Rhys flinched back. Someone mumbled something incoherent off-screen, and Jack looked even more pissed the next second, -"How the hell should I know? Can't you see I'm fucking busy here!?"  
  
Rhys's eyebrows shot up, momentarily wondering who pissed Jack off so much. Was talking to Rhys even considered 'being busy'? Maybe he just wanted to get out of work... But then again, it was Jack. He never not wanted to work.  
  
"Oh my GOD, I _swear_ I'm going to blow your brains out if you- Oh, he left,"- Jack seemed calmer the second Rhys heard the door close, and he turned back with a smile as though nothing happened, -"Anyway, cupcake, whatcha cookin'?"

  
  
Rhys blinked a couple of times, still trying to comprehend Jack's mood swing. That was really... something.

  
  
"Uh, just pasta,"- He mumbled, stirring the pot with his free hand, -"What was that all about?"  
  
"Ugh, extending my stay. He asked me if I needed to do anything else while we're here."  
  
"Who's 'he' anyway?"- Rhys didn't know why, but that got him concerned, if only a little. It was obvious Jack disliked this person, whoever he was...

 

Not that Rhys was jealous or anything. Not at all. Nope _. No, sir. Not_ -

  
"My assistant, Kenneth. And remove the '-istant' from that title, cuz that's all he is."  
  
"Pfft, ass,"- Rhys snorted, shaking his head. Jack was such a kid sometimes, -"What's this about your stay?"  
  
"Hmm, didn't I tell you?"  
  
"You're supposed to come back in three days, no?"  
  
"Heh,"- Jack suddenly smirked, raising up his eyebrows, -"Well, sweetheart... You know that suuuuuper important meeting you have with R&D tomorrow in the afternoon?"  
  
Rhys narrowed his eyes, tilting his head in question, -"Yeah...?"  
  
"Yeah, cancel that. I'm coming back, baby, and I'm taking you out on that long awaited date of ours."

  
Rhys didn’t even have a chance to react, just opening his mouth in protest, because _Jack no that meeting is important for a reason_ , but the other man already hung up.

  
Well, shit...

  
Okay, so he really was going on a date with Handsome Jack, after all.

 

Awesome.  


_Wait_ -

 

Fuck, shouldn't he be more worried!?

 

• • • •

 

“Just where the hell is he…”- Rhys mumbled to himself, impatiently pulling up the time on his Echoeye. Jack was… not late at all. In fact, he still had 20 minutes left until he was supposed to show up.

 

It’s just that Rhys, being the nervous wreck that he was, decided to show 40 minutes early.

 

Not an hour, mind you, because that is just desperate.

 

He barely slept at all last night, deciding that his time would be much wiser spent on choosing his outfit for the day. And who else to call when you’re choosing an outfit besides your very best friends, Vaughn and Yvette?

 

Rhys only cared a little that he sounded like a middle-schooler preparing for his first date ever. This was important.

 

"You're nearly thirty, Rhys, what the hell..."- Yvette would say with a roll of her eyes. 

 

But despite her and Vaughn cursing Rhys with every curse word ever created, they stayed up all night with him. That’s what best friends are for, after all.

 

Together they managed to piece a sweet outfit, consisting of Rhys’s dark green cardigan over a stripped T-shirt and a pair of light blue skinny jeans. Of course neither Rhys nor Vaughn would never normally piece these items together, but thank god for Yvette. She was one resourceful lady.

So, with a help of a fashion catalog, they managed to make Rhys look either like a model, or like the biggest douchebag on the planet. Rhys still wasn’t sure what the difference between the two was.

 

He dragged Vaughn with him the next morning, begging him to stay close in case of an emergency. He didn’t really know what emergencies could come up on a date, but still.

 

It was Jack. Better safe than sorry.

 

Yvette declined, saying she’d much rather not meet Jack for as long as it was possible. She did, however, make Rhys promise to tell her everything after.

 

 

As one last ditch effort, Vaughn popped on a gray beanie on Rhys’s head that Rhys usually kept around for bad hair days.

 

“There, now you look like a complete idiot,”- Vaughn said, before giving him a thumbs up and running off to an arcade or something.

 

And really, _could_ Jack be any cheesier?

 

Choosing the biggest entertainment station in the solar system for their date was… Expected, in an unexpected way.

 

Like, sure, if this was literally anyone else in the universe, Rhys would be less than surprised that they dragged him down to the place consisting mostly of arcades, boutiques, movie theaters, and restaurants.

 

But it was Handsome Jack, dammit.

 

For all Rhys knew, his idea of a date consisted of blowing up a bandit camp together and then wrestling skags to death.

 

Compared to those things, this was… Honestly, Rhys didn’t know if he was glad or kinda disappointed.

 

Ten minutes of aimless staring later, he saw a familiar figure descending down an escalator, and had to raise his hand up to his heart. It was immediately beating so damn fast.

Jack was standing there, in all his glory, passively observing the people walking back and forth. Everyone else quite literally dimmed in the background when he appeared (although that may be due to Rhys’s own biases). Jack was patiently waiting for the woman in front of him to get off the escalator with her child and-

 

Then it hit Rhys.

 

_Why isn’t anyone recognizing him!?_

 

Jack was there – _Handsome friggin’ Jack was right there_ –and this lady in front of him turned around, apologized for her kid’s behavior, and continued on with her day as though she didn’t just meet the most powerful man in the entire universe.

 

Okay, _something_ was up.

 

Rhys stomped over to where Jack was looking around for him, demanding answers, but before he could even so much as open his mouth, Jack noticed him.

 

His face immediately lit up, and he was smirking now, pulling Rhys in closer.

 

“Theeere you are, cupcake, and here I thought you bailed on me,”- Jack laughed, reaching up to give him a quick kiss on the corner of his mouth. Rhys was so stunned, he forgot everything but his own name, -“Niceee outfit – since when are you into fashion, kiddo? Gotta say, I _love_ the hat. Not my favorite style, though, but you're getting there.”

 

Rhys took a moment to collect himself, blinking away his confusion, a light pink blush covering his face. He didn't exactly expect to be greeted so... amorously.

 

He took a moment to look Jack over then, noticing that he was… Just wearing his usual clothes. Rhys didn’t know what he expected, but with Jack, anything was possible.

 

“We’re both early, how the hell did you think I bailed on you,”- He said, suddenly feeling uncomfortable. He should’ve just worn a shirt and tie, -“And I just have a range of clothes in my wardrobe… Unlike  _somebody_ , apparently.”

 

Jack began walking, and Rhys followed without question. They stepped back on the escalator, which led to the movie theater area.

 

“ _Don’t_ you have any other clothes?”- Rhys continued, leaning on the rail.

 

“I’m the main character, kid, it’s what we do.”

 

“Wha-?”

 

“I’m _saying_ I didn’t have time to stop by my place and change, that’s all,”- Jack stepped off first, confidently walking in the direction of the screens.

 

“The ticket office is the other way,”- Rhys mumbled, pulling at Jack's sleeve.

 

Jack simply threw his arm up without turning around, a pair of tickets in between his fingers.

 

“I know what I’m doing, sweetheart. Let's go!”

 

• • • •

 

Rhys hated to admit it, but it _was_ a good movie. Jack really _did_ know what he was doing.

 

He even bought a giant bucket of popcorn for them to share… _That asshole._

 

He was so considerate, it pissed Rhys off. Is this what he was always like?

 

His confidence in the way he reached out to hold Rhys’s hand as they watched a heart breaking scene, the way he kissed Rhys when the bad guy brutally murdered the main character’s love interest… He now smelled of his usual cologne, and the scent of gunmetal and blood were all there, and that drove Rhys crazy - because, just a few years ago, if someone told him he’d be sitting in the movie theater with Handsome Jack, being all lovey-dovey, he would’ve probably punched that person in the face.

After blushing madly like an idiot, of course.

 

There was no way any of this was real.

 

And yet here he was, drinking milkshakes in the retro styled café, on a picture-perfect date with Handsome Jack.

 

 

“Can you believe that guy was actually the villain? I was rooting for him the entire movie!”- Jack said, flicking a piece of paper off the table.

 

“That’s because your morals are screwed,”- Rhys muttered with the milkshake straw in his mouth. Though, he did have to admit, the villain had _way_ better writing than the main character. He was soulful and real, while the other guy was as entertaining as a piece of cardboard.

 

Plus, he was cuter.

 

“Yeah, whatever. Can we get more fries in here!?”- Jack rudely yelled out to the waiter, who just rolled his eyes at him, and went off into the kitchen.

 

So far, Rhys learned three new things about Handsome Jack.

 

First, he ate A LOT. And Rhys really did mean _a lot_. He finished at least two thirds of the giant popcorn bucket himself, and now was ordering a second portion of fries, along with drinking his milkshake.

 

Rhys got sick just by looking at all this food.

 

Second, he was ridiculously romantic - at least with Rhys. He was rude and annoying to everyone else in the universe, but Rhys, through some virtue, received special treatment. And that  _truly_ made him feel special. Jack wouldn't settle for anything less than ideal, even when it came to dates... Maybe that's why he was so idealistic in his plans. 

 

And finally, third and the most annoying thing -  _no one_ knew who he was. Not the person selling them popcorn, not anyone in the movie theater, not the waiter, or any other person in this café. Rhys was convinced there wasn’t a single person in the universe who didn’t know Jack, yet here they were, in a giant place where he was just another face in the crowd.

 

“So... Is there any particular reason no one knows who you are?”- Rhys finally decided to ask, after the waiter placed fries on their table and left.

 

“Hm?”- Jack was already stuffing his face, and Rhys cringed, feeling like his own stomach might just explode.

 

“Y’know, around here. Nobody recognizes you or runs away in fear or whatever. It’s like you’re not even you.”

 

Jack stared at him for a second, smirking then, cracking his neck and his knuckles. He wiped at his nose with his thumb, and leaned forward, whispering like a conspirator.

 

“Heh, why do you think we’re here in the first place, kiddo?”

 

Rhys cocked an eyebrow, but didn’t reply.

 

“Just imagine it – “You know who I’ve seen at the movie theater today? Handsome Jack!” or “I just brought Handsome Jack a plate of fries, can you believe it!”,”- Jack was speaking in weird voices again, first like a lady and then as their waiter, and that made Rhys nearly choke on his milkshake from laughter, -“See, kid? Impossible. No one in the world would take you seriously – Handsome Jack just doesn’t go to these places.”

 

Rhys nodded wistfully, beginning to realize, -“So, because no one expects to see you here, no one recognizes you?”

 

“That’s right. For most of these common folks I’m a living legend. I don’t think any of them even know my face.”

 

“That’s kinda cool… Psychology and stuff...”- Rhys said, finally getting it. Although, he doubted that part about no one knowing Jack's face - he had it plastered all over the galaxy, after all.

Rhys suddenly remembered his own parents - he was pretty sure they had no idea who Jack was, or at the very least they didn’t care.

 

So, there were people like that in this world too.

 

“Now, what’s next? Bowling alley? Ice rink? Yeah, I can’t freaking skate, so that’s a no go. The arcade?”

 

As much as Rhys thought it would be hilarious to watch Jack stumble over and fall in the ice rink, he did come here with a purpose.

 

“There’s a reason we’re on this ‘date’, Jack. I have things to... discuss.”

 

Jack eyed him down with an unimpressed stare, and the next moment, he was suddenly reaching out, making Rhys’s heart skip a bit, and... In one swift motion, pulled Rhys’s beanie down over his eyes.

 

“The reason we’re on this _date_ is to have fun, sweetcheeks. The rest is a technicality.”

 

Rhys adjusted his hat back into position, blushing furiously.

 

Was he being bullied here!?

 

“Whatever... It’s not like this was supposed to be a date in the first place...”

 

“Oh, so you’re telling me you regret it?”- Jack was smirking, but Rhys caught a hint of something else in his tone.

 

Something… well, weird.

 

“N-No, but- Let’s just go somewhere we can talk, okay?”

 

“Yeah, alright, you win,”- Jack threw his hand in the air, calling for the waiter. He arrived with their bill in a few moments.

 

The man was eyeing Jack curiously, squinting his eyes in thought. 

 

“Excuse me, sir, but… Don’t I know you from somewhere?”-  He suddenly asked, twirling his mustache. 

Rhys's heart froze then, a lump forming in his throat. 

 

_Shit._

 

This wasn’t good.

 

If he realized that Jack was _Jack,_ then-

 

“Yeah, maybe,”- Jack seemed unfazed, looking over the bill with bored eyes, -“I used to be on the cover of gay porn magz. Sound familiar?”

 

He smirked up at the waiter, passing him the bill with his credit card inside. The former only scoffed, roughly taking the bill and walking off to the counter.

 

Jack looked like he would piss himself laughing.

 

“That wasn’t even funny,”- Rhys commented, secretly relieved that the waiter didn’t question them further.

 

“Heh, who says I’m jokin’, kid?”- Jack smiled, taking his credit card and shoving it back into one of his many pocket, -“Now let’s go. I know just the place where we won’t be disturbed…”

 

He walked out the door, and Rhys, after a second of stunned silence, following closely behind. 

 

On the other side of the mall, Rhys carefully eyed a magazine store, and realized that he may need to stop there for a while on the way back... A _very_ long while.  

 

 _Wonder if they have an 18+ section…_ \- He thought as they descended down the escalator, kind of hoping that Jack really wasn't joking. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> heyy
> 
> so, i'll be away for a while, that's why the updates will stall for a while after this chapter. 
> 
> i'll be pretty busy, and i'm so sorry i won't be able to post any more for the next week or so!!
> 
> i promise we'll go back to our regularly scheduled chapter per day after i come back!
> 
> love you all<3


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> heeellooooooo~
> 
> yep, im back and ready for more
> 
> im sorry for that weird awkward pause in the middle, but now i have all the time in the world to give you guys more :3 the updates wont be daily, as you guys were used to, but they will be regular!
> 
> i hope you didnt forget about me yet! ;3
> 
> oh, and, for ambiance, [listen to this](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aaF-49vtAXw)

“An… aquarium?”

 

Rhys raised an eyebrow as they approached the entrance to the facility, big neon pink letters spelling “FISH WORLD” over the circular doors. Jack went over to the cash register, purchasing a couple of tickets.

 

“I can buy my own stuff, y’know…”- Rhys commented without any conviction to his voice. It wasn't that he minded it, but still - he was a strong independent man who didn't need catering. 

“What can I say? I’m a gentleman,”- Jack chuckled, holding the door open for Rhys. 

 

 _Asshole_. 

 

As soon as they entered the aquarium, it was as though the atmosphere completely changed.

 

They were now basking in the blue lights of the long circular tunnel, ripples of water reflecting on the floor. The fish were swimming around them and right above their heads, and Rhys felt as though he was in another world.

 

He has been to many places in the galaxy before, but he has never seen quite anything like it.

 

“Woah…”- He mumbled, pressing his hands to the thick cool glass, watching a pair of huge golden fish swim past him.

 

“Well, this isn’t as cool as the shiz we have at R&D, but it’s still pretty neat,”- Jack came up behind him, placing a hand on his shoulder.

 

Rhys watched their reflections in the glass for a few seconds, thinking how weird they looked just then, standing side by side.

 

And yet, he felt like this was where he belonged.

 

He turned his head to look at Jack, and the man was smiling at him, looking through half-lidded eyes. His features were defined by the blue glow, and something about him in that moment seemed ethereal.

 

Soft music was playing in the background, making this moment just so much more dream-like.

 

Rhys held his breath, feeling his heart speed up and his face flush. He quickly turned away, staring at the flowing seaweed instead.

 

“Wo-ho-ho, look at  _that_ ,”- Jack suddenly broke the moment, removing his hand from Rhys’s shoulder and walking on. Rhys immediately felt much colder without the man by his side, -“Now  _that_  is one gorgeous thing.”

Jack was pointing to a giant- or, rather,  _ginormous_  shark, swimming at them from the distance. He made a whistling noise as it passed by their heads, it’s giant shadow momentarily making everything dark.

“Ain’t she a beauty…”- He marveled, his eyes glistening. Rhys was certain he was thinking about how to utilize ‘her’ as a weapon or something, -“Anyway, cupcake, what did ya wanna talk about?”

 

Rhys suddenly remembered why they were here in the first place, feeling much more insecure than before. His questions now seemed kinda stupid, especially considering everything that happened today, but…

 

Well, he was never the one  _not_ to ask stupid questions, so.

 

They walked on, further off into an area where the tunnel expanded into a room and a couple of couches stood in the middle of it. Jack sat down, patting a place next to him, and Rhys, after a second’s hesitation, joined him.

 

“So… Okay, where do I start-”- Rhys began, but was immediately interrupted by Jack throwing his arm around his shoulders, -“Uh- What?”

“Something wrong?”- The other man asked, looking at him out of the corner of his eye. Rhys swallowed, pulling at the hem of his shirt.

“N-Not really… So, uh, first thing’s first, I guess. How’d you get a body?”

 

And so Jack told him.

 

He told him about preserving his DNA in case something like this happened, about cloning, about the immortality suit, which he couldn't implement in his body just yet, and about its further testing. He told him that he was grateful to Nakayama (or ‘the obsessed weirdo’, as he called him) for making an AI of Jack before Jack himself could finish making a copy of his consciousness.

 

It was difficult to swallow, but Rhys nodded nevertheless.

 

They talked about Jack’s visions and plans for Hyperion, his ideas for finding the next Vault, and taking (quite graphic) revenge on the ones who ‘took everything from him’.

Rhys decided that this wasn’t exactly the time to be asking what that ‘everything’ exactly was. He simply put his shaky hand over Jack’s, feeling his heart speed up when the man gently squeezed it back.

 

Never in his life would he have imagined something like this happening.

 

Jack was… oddly comforting. His presence, his powerful aura, his smell, his voice, his touches – everything about him seemed so unexpected, yet always so familiar to Rhys. It hurt to think this could have never happened.

 

“Jack…”- He finally mustered up enough courage to ask him the question he’s been meaning to ask all along. This one would either break him, or make him the happiest person in the entire galactic system, -“Wh- Um, what am I… to you, exactly?”

 

It was silent then for a moment, Rhys’s words echoing in the empty room. He could feel the man beside him tense up, and that made his stomach tighten in worry.

 

Did he mess up by asking..?

 

Another smaller shark swam past them, Jack’s eyes travelling after it until it was out of sight. He then slowly turned his head to face Rhys, his expression unreadable. Rhys only thought it looked kind of sad.

 

“You’re my partner, aren’t you..?”- He said then, his voice quiet, a hint of uncertainty in his tone, -“The only reliable partner I ever had… The only one I can trust.”

 

Rhys wasn’t sure if Jack wanted answers, or if those were even questions, but he nodded nevertheless. Jack blinked softly, slowly, tracing his thumb over Rhys’s cheekbones, looking into his eyes, and yet seemingly at nothing at all.

 

“Say, kiddo… I mean, Rhys...”- His voice was serious, his lips grazed by a hint of smile, -“Wanna be my boyfriend?”

 

Rhys sharply breathed in then, his heart skipping a beat, or two, or _ten_.

 

Jack was looking at him gently, still tracing his thumb underneath his eye. It wasn’t a question he was expecting to hear – not from Jack. _Never_ from Jack.

 

The Jack he always imagined was rough, ruthless, domineering. He took what he wanted whenever he wanted.

 

But this side of Jack… It was, well, refreshing.

 

He had a heart, and Rhys now knew that his heart was beating for him.

 

“Whaddaya say?”- Jack asked again, his smile dropping a little. He leaned in a little closer, and Rhys swallowed hard.

“Y-Yeah- I-I think, yes,”- He said, fervently nodding, -“I think I- I mean, I’d like that. Yeah- Yeah, it’d be awesome.”

 

Jack smiled then - or rather, grinned, his hand travelling under Rhys’s hat, knocking it from his head. His fingers got tangled up in Rhys’s hair, and he leaned in, kissing his lips.

 

Rhys immediately kissed back, opening his mouth for Jack in welcome, throwing his own hands around the man’s back. Jack was so damn warm, Rhys was certain he was going to melt.

 

“Jack…”- Rhys whispered, pulling back from the kiss, -“I have just one more question to ask…”

Jack immediately grew serious, his eyebrows furrowing over his eyes, -“What is it now?”

 

Rhys smirked, biting down on his lower lip. He pressed his forehead to Jack’s, the man’s mask uncomfortably digging into his skin. Not that any of that mattered, because they were _together_ now, and he was so damn _happy._

 

Rhys took a deep breath, whispering against Jack’s lips, -“Are you always this cheesy?”

 

After a moment of taking it in, Jack’s eyebrows rose up, a smile appearing on his face, and then he laughed, bringing his hands to squeeze Rhys’s cheeks.

 

“Oh, you little _brat_ \- I am going to  _enjoy_  making a mess out of you,”- Before Rhys knew it, Jack’s hands were on his belt, violently tugging at the buckle.

Rhys’s eyes grew wide then. panic raising in his gut as Jack’s hands were now undoing his zipper, -“J-Jack, what the hell- We’re in  _public_ , dammit!”

 

“Who the fuck cares,”- He whispered, biting down on Rhys’s earlobe. A loud moan then escaped Rhys’s lips, and he knew he wouldn’t be able to resist it if he didn’t do something quick.

“There are camera’s here- What if someone walked in!?”- He kept resisting as much as he could, simultaneously typing a message on his Echocom behind Jack’s back. If someone saw him and Jack together…

 

He may as well be throwing an official funeral for his professional respectability.

 

He just hoped help would come soon.

 

“Then we’ll make sure to put on a good show, right, pumpkin’?”- Jack laughed, his hands sliding down Rhys’s pants, pressing down on his crotch.

 

It felt  _nothing_ like when jack was doing it with his own hand, because  _fuck_ , Jack’s hands were so fucking warm. Rhys bit down on the back of his hand, muffling another loud moan.

 

Just then, he heard the doors to the aquarium open behind his back, and he was hoping and praying that it was who he thought it was, and not just a poor random passerby.

 

“Rhys!? Jack?”- Vaughn exclaimed from the other end of the room, and Jack immediately seized all movement, -“He-he-hey, guys!”

 

Rhys could feel Jack hesitating whether to continue or not – he  _did_  promise to put on a show. Rhys slowly removed his hand from his pants, zipping them back up, -“Please, Jack…”

 

Jack reluctantly moved away, grunting loudly, as Vaughn appeared behind the couch.

 

“What a COINCIDENCE, isn’t it!? To think that _you_ guys, and _I,_ just HAPPENED to decide to go to this aquarium on our day off!”- Vaughn honestly couldn’t be more obvious if he tried, but Jack seemed to be too disgruntled to notice, -“Crazy how the world works, huh?”

“Yeah, nice to see you too, buddy,”- Rhys smiled at him, trying to do his belt as discretely as possibly. Jack only waved him off, sighing loudly in discontent. He picked up Rhys’s hat from the floor, throwing it over Rhys’s head.

 

Vaughn just smiled at them uncomfortably.  

 

Rhys really owed him for this one, though, as just as they were about to exit the aquarium, a large family group entered through the doors. He lightly bumped Vaughn’s shoulder as a thank you, and Vaughn nudged him in return.

 

“So, what are you guys doing here?”- He asked once the three of them were outside, -“Wanna go grab something to eat?”

 

Rhys tugged on Jack's sleeve, smiling – he knew the man wouldn’t be able to resist an invitation to eat. Jack only rolled his eyes, following the pair without another word.

 

They sat down in a little café which served pancakes and other breakfast food. Rhys grabbed himself a latte, while Jack ordered about ten stacks of waffles with ice cream and chocolate syrup. Vaughn looked at Rhys in question, but Rhys just shook his head –  _don’t question it_.

 

They were sitting in silence for a few moments, Vaughn’s eyes darting back and forth between Rhys and Jack, who were sitting together opposite him. He was loudly slurping on his milkshake, Jack was half-lying on the table chewing on his waffle, looking like an annoyed child, and Rhys was desperately trying to figure out how to make the situation less awkward.

 

“So… There’s this new game at the arcade- Uh-”- Vaughn began, stopping when he felt Jack’s eyes dart to stare at him.

 

In the next moment, however, Jack sat up, his face becoming devious, and he threw his arm around Rhys, pulling him closer.

 

“Aren’t you forgetting something, cupcake?”- He purred, smirking at Vaughn, who exchanged a confused glance with Rhys, -“Aren’t you going to introduce me to your little friend over there?”

 

Rhys quirked an eyebrow, turning his head to look up at Jack. With the way Jack always threw his arm around his neck, Rhys was always hunched over.

One might think he was annoyed that Rhys was actually taller than him or something…

 

“Uh, what do you mean? This is Vaughn, you know him.”

“Oh, I know  _him_ , darlin’, but does he know  _me?”_

 

As soon as Rhys heard that new pet name, it suddenly clicked with him. Vaughn was looking just as confused, but Rhys felt a deep blush creeping up his neck, and so he pulled his hat over his own face in embarrassment. Even through the hat, he could still feel Jack drilling a hole in him with his eyes.

 

“U-Um, Vaughn… So this is- This is Jack,”- He presented the other man with a wave of his hand, swallowing down before saying the next words, -“That is to say, this is m-my boyfriend. My boyfriend Jack.”

 

He could hear Vaughn choke on his milkshake, and Jack laughing loudly – he couldn’t actually see anything, as the hat was still over his eyes.

 

“ _Already!?_ ”- Vaughn exclaimed, and Jack suddenly wasn’t laughing anymore.

 

Right... Jack didn't know that Vaughn knew all about their little hook ups, and he _definitely_ didn't know Rhys asked Vaughn to be here for their date in case of emergencies.

 

Rhys raised his hat up then, shooting daggers at Vaughn with his eyes.

 

“What does he mean, ‘already’?”- Jack asked, suspiciously looking at Rhys.

 

Rhys only continued to stare at his best friend, kicking him under the table, -“Y-Yeah, Vaughn, what  _do_ you mean?”

 

Vaughn coughed again, nervously flailing his hands in front of his face, -“U-Uh, n-nothing! I mean- Rhys  _already_ got himself someone new?  _About time!_  Gee, bro, you haven’t had anyone in  _years_. Honestly, I thought you were losing your game!”

 

Jack squinted at Vaughn, but didn’t comment any further. Rhys just exhaled – at least they managed to get out of this one. It was better for Jack not to know that Vaughn interrupted them on purpose.

 

“But, I’m, uh- I’m glad for you. Both of you, I guess,”- Vaughn continued, looking down at the table. He looked sincere when he said that, and Rhys was grateful. Jack still didn’t say anything.

 

Another moment of silence passed between them, and Rhys could see Vaughn nervously fiddling with the hem of his shirt. He opened and closed his mouth several times, no sound coming out, and Rhys was beginning to get curious about just what he was trying to do. Jack didn’t seem to notice anything, staring absent-minded into the distance.

 

Vaughn finally seemed to muster up the courage, inhaling deeply, and then he coughed a little to get Jack’s attention. When the latter turned to face him, his face seemed grave serious, but Rhys, being his best friend, could see he was practically shaking.

 

“J-Jack,”- He began, his voice cracking a little. Jack only turned his head to the side in question, -“I need you to promise me something, okay?”

 

Now _that_ got his attention. Jack was leaning forward, making Vaughn lean back away from him. His resolve didn’t waver, however, and Rhys already knew where this was going.

 

Every time he got a new partner, no matter who it was, Vaughn made them all promise the same thing over and over. This conversation wasn’t new for Rhys, yet he was still surprised to see Vaughn was determined enough to say something like that to _Handsome friggin' Jack._

 

“I need you to promise me-”- He continued, staring Jack right in the eyes, -“-that you will take care of Rhys. And that you won’t hurt him. Okay?”

 

Jack’s eyes grew wide, obviously not expecting a request like that from the short, nervous man sitting across from him. Rhys was honestly touched, almost to tears – as embarrassing as Vaughn was, it must have taken him a lot of courage to ask that of Jack.

 

However, then, Vaughn did something he’s never done before – he extended his fist to Jack, awaiting patiently for it to be punched. Jack furrowed his eyebrows in confusion for a second, then smirked, laughing loudly.

 

“You’ve got nothing to worry about, short stuff,”- He said, extending his own fist to gently bump Vaughn’s, -“The princess is safe with this dragon. Promise.”

 

Rhys felt tears stinging at his eyes – this was beautiful. _So damn beautiful._

 

He wiped at his eyes with the back of his hand, sniffling loudly. His best friend bonding with the man he loved like that… That was just too damn a miracle not to drop a tear or two.

 

…

 

_The man he loved!?_

 

No, that’s wrong- Wait a fucking second-

 

He didn’t  _love_ Jack, did he!?

 

Sure, he liked him, and liked him  _a lot_ , but love…? Was it even okay to love someone like Jack?

 

..Did Jack love him?

 

They just started dating not even two hours ago, how could he think something like that…

 

Jack brought him back from his thoughts by gently ruffling his hair, knocking off his hat once again, -“Look, cupcake, this was fun ‘n stuff, but I gotta return back to work. Those reports won’t file themselves.”

 

Rhys only nodded, immediately feeling a lot less cheerful. So, their date was over already, huh…

 

“You stay here with your buddy, m’kay? You both deserve a day off,”- He planted a quick kiss on Rhys’s cheek, before standing up and walking past Vaughn, bro-fisting him one more time, -“See ya later, Macho Man.”

 

And with that, he was gone.

 

Vaughn shuddered, sticking his tongue out in disgust, -“Nope, will never get used to seeing that.”

 

Rhys pressed a hand to his cheek where Jack kissed him, and smiled. Maybe it  _was_ okay to be in love with him… He could really be cute when he wanted to, after all.

 

“Let’s go, loverboy. The arcade awaits,”- Vaughn laughed, dragging Rhys by his elbow.

 

Rhys followed him without question, happy to spend the rest of the day with his best friend.

 

 

• • • •

 

 

Rhys read over the message one last time, before closing up his Echocom.

 

So, that was it then.

 

He found them.

 

He should probably be happier than what he was feeling.

 

And he was feeling _damn_ nervous.

 

The way things ended between him, and Fiona and Sasha… Well, he was just hoping he was worthy of a second chance.

 

First, however, he needed to inform Jack.

 

Dropping down on the bed in his apartment, he dialed the number he’s been calling way too often in the last couple of days. Jack picked up on the third ring.

 

“Miss me already, kitten?”- He smiled, winking at the screen. Judging by his surroundings, he was still in the office.

 

“Something like that,”- Rhys smiled back, -“I need to tell you something important-”

“Ah-pap-pap, before that-”- Jack shushed him, straining his neck to look behind Rhys. Rhys turned around, but the only thing he could see were his bed sheets and a couple of Jack posters that he didn’t have the energy or the heart to remove, -“-Are you in your room, by any chance?”

 

“Yeah..?”

 

“Oh, isn’t that  _just_  delightful,”- Jack smirked, and Rhys suddenly got a bad feeling about all of this, -“Tell me, cupcake, are you feeling stressed out?”

“Huh? Wha- N-Not really?”

“Well, I, on the other hand, am just  _falling apart_ from stress,”- Jack was talking low, practically whispering, -“Now, what are we going to do about that, huh, pumpkin’?”

 

Rhys felt a shudder run down his spine, immediately knowing where this was headed. He furrowed his eyebrows at Jack, who slowly licked his lips, his hands travelling down to his belt. He leaned back in his chair,  _just_ getting comfortable.

 

“Now, darlin’, why don’t you take off your clothes, and spread those legs for me nice and wide, mm?”

 

Rhys reached down to undo his own belt, almost hypnotized, but then abruptly stopped, suddenly feeling annoyed.

 

“No, Jack,”- He said, and he could see the anger flaming up in the other man’s eyes. Jack slammed his hands on the desk, leaning forward, glaring at Rhys so hard, Rhys thought he’d probably be dead if it wasn’t for the distance.

“What the fuck do you mean ‘ _No, Jack’,_ ”- He drawled, his voice calm and leveled. Rhys realized that Jack yelling wasn’t even half as frightful as this tone, -“I waited long fucking _enough_ , you dickhead. Quit fucking teasing me-“

“I’m tired of doing all the work myself, okay!?”- Rhys yelled back, his stomach twisting with nervousness, -“Why don’t you come down here and do something yourself for a change!?”

 

Jack was confused, if only for a split second.

 

His eyes then immediately widened, a predatory smile appearing on his lips. He seemed to realize that it wasn’t a rejection, but, rather, an _invitation_.

 

“Oh ho ho, you little asshole- Is that how we’re going to play it, then?”- He laughed, walking over to the elevator, and Rhys suddenly felt his stomach drop.

 

 _It was happening_.

 

Jack was coming over – actual, real life Jack was coming over to his room- to have-

 

“Wait, you know what, I changed my-“- Rhys started, but Jack already cut off the connection.  _Shit_.

 

Rhys  _wanted_ this, more than anything, but he was so damn fucking nervous, he may as well have been shaking like a leaf.

 

There was no backing down now.

 

He checked how he looked in the mirror one last time – not that it mattered much or anything. Disregarding his cardigan, hat, shoes, and socks, he nervously scanned the room for anything that could be useful or needed and-

 

_Wait, lube-_

 

He took out the bottle from his drawer, half-empty already. How much did he even use before…

 

Looking at it now, it felt almost too real. He placed it on the floor besides the bed, deliberating for a moment whether he should just remove all the Handsome Jack posters, before he suddenly heard a loud, demanding knock on his door.

 

Well, no time to think now.

 

He quickly opened the door, immediately pulling Jack in by his wrist, taking a look around the hall to make sure no one was there.

 

“Did anyone see you?”- He asked, closing the door behind him.

 

But instead of an answer, Jack simply crashed their mouths together, his hands getting lost in Rhys’s hair.

 

Rhys felt his back hit the door, the impact on his head softened by Jack’s hands. He was kissing him violently, desperately, as though he couldn’t wait another second.

 

Before Rhys knew it, he was on the bed, on his back, Jack towering above him, his hands travelling underneath his shirt.

 

“You’re so soft, baby,”- Jack laughed, leaning down and gently biting down on the side of Rhys’s stomach. Rhys winced, feeling self-conscious.

“Yeah, well, sorry I don’t have awesome abs like Vaughn or whatever,”- He mumbled, staring at a wall.

 

Jack only laughed, licking down his navel, making Rhys shudder, -“Cupcake, trust me, I’d hate you if you had abs. You’re just perfect the way you are.”

 

That made Rhys blush harder than Jack’s kisses on his chest or his hands on his hips.

 

For the first time in a while, Rhys wasn’t exactly hating his lanky body.

 

“Your tattoos are so damn sexy too. Who’d thought you had it in ya?”- Jack ran his hands over the patterns, smiling, -“I need to get my own back…”

 

It was a nice feeling, knowing that Jack liked everything about his body. He remembered Jack’s own tattoo, which wasn’t there anymore. 

 

_Clone body. Right._

 

Jack’s hands were already undoing his belt and his pants, pulling them down, leaving Rhys exposed in his yellow Hyperion boxers. Jack kissed at the hem of those, Rhys having to pull him back by his hair. They were going  _way_ too fast. 

“W-Wait…”- He whispered, to Jack’s discontent, -“Let’s go slower. We have all night.”

 

Jack laughed then, kissing Rhys on the mouth, -“Yeah, but  _I_ don’t have all patience.”

 

Rhys wasn’t listening to him anymore, he was simply pulling down his leather jacket, dropping it on the floor alongside his own pants. He began unbuttoning his vest, shoving it off as well, then sighing upon seeing a white shirt underneath.

 

“Ugh, why do you even  _need_ so many fucking layers,”- Rhys mumbled, pushing Jack down on the bed and sitting on top of his lap. Jack kept laughing, but allowed Rhys to continue taking off his clothes, relaxing with his hands underneath his head.

 

Rhys finally managed to unbutton the white shirt, exposing the orange Hyperion T-shirt underneath it. It looked  _very_  old, torn in some places and patched up in others. Rhys ran a hand over the worn out logo, feeling Jack’s insanely fast heartbeat underneath.

 

“Why…”- He breathed out, suddenly feeling weirdly nostalgic. After all those years, Jack kept this old, outdated shirt, and wore it every day to his job. It was... weirdly sentimental for a man like Jack. 

 

“Never forget where you came from, kid,”- Jack simply answered, sitting up and shrugging down both shirts on the floor. He brought Rhys closer to his muscular chest, covered in hair and tiny scars. They appeared to be fresh – he probably received them while he was away.

 

Rhys ran a hand down his stomach, tracing the beginning of a happy trail, feeling the rough skin that was so unlike the skin of his mask. He momentarily wondered what Jack’s real lips would feel like, before getting lost in the sensation of Jack’s hands travelling up his back. Jack pulled his T-shirt over his head, throwing it on the floor among all the other things, and now Rhys was feeling more exposed than ever.

 

“Who allowed you to be so damn pretty, cupcake,”- Jack chuckled, messing up Rhys’s hair all over again. Rhys kissed him on the temple, blushing hard, and Jack laughed again, fiddling with his belt buckle.

Rhys helped him undo his pants, and in the next moment Jack was pushing him off of his lap, taking off his pants, his shoes and socks, standing there in nothing but his mask and his black boxers. Rhys felt like he was in a dream once again, Jack, as though in slow motion, walking up to him and pinning him down on the bed, holding his hands down above his head with his own. He was breathing hard now, feeling Jack’s legs tangle with his own, their erections brush against one another in their boxers.

 

Rhys whimpered softly, Jack kissing down his jaw, his neck, biting down on his collarbones. He arched his back, pressing his body closer to Jack’s.

 

Jack took a moment to pull back, to look down at Rhys, his half lidded eyes scanning him down, his pupils dilated, filled with lust. His hands wandered down to his thighs, gently caressing them, spreading his legs wide open.

 

“God, baby, your fucking legs,”- He whispered, leaning down and pressing soft, wet kissed to his thighs, -“You’re going to drive me fucking wild, aren’t you…”

 

Rhys shivered as Jack bit down on the side of his knee, tracing his tongue down to his groin, his fingers sliding up the hem of his boxers. He then suddenly grasped Rhys by his legs, roughly lifting him up and slamming him against the wall, the very same one with all the Handsome Jack posters Rhys could ever find. He was kissing Rhys’s mouth roughly, slowly pulling down his boxers.

 

“Is-Isn’t this weird?”- Rhys muttered through moans, desperately holding onto Jack’s shoulder for support, -“All these posters… Are fucking weird, right…”

Jack only gave a low, throaty chuckle in response, biting down on Rhys’s earlobe, -“Ya kidding me, babydoll? This is like a fucking dream.”

 

Rhys looked at him through hazy eyes, not knowing whether to be surprised or not at that response. Jack did love his own face, after all.

 

“Honestly, cupcake, you make all my fantasies come true,”- He continued, biting at Rhys’s neck, leaving tiny bruises behind, -“And you know what else is a wet dream of mine…?”

 

Rhys could tell what Jack was thinking about – he was always thinking about the same thing when it came down to it. Jack pulled down Rhys’s boxers, throwing them aside, his erection standing up against his chest, and reached out to pick up the bottle of lube on the floor.

 

“Be a good boy, Rhysie,”- Jack purred, pouring down the liquid on his hand, -“Be a good boy for daddy, will ya?”

 

 _Fuck_ -

 

Rhys could never resist it, could never think straight with Jack calling him a ‘good boy’, pinned up against the wall like that. Jack’s scent was driving him insane, and his cock was so hard right then it nearly hurt.

 

“F-Fuck me already, Jack,”- He breathed out, receiving a stare from Jack.  _Ah, fuck it, who even cares anymore,_ -“Fuck me, d-daddy-“

 

Jack gave a low groan, sliding his fingers over Rhys’s cock. The touch was uncomfortably cold, and Rhys shivered, shifting down, suddenly feeling Jack’s own erection brushing up against his thigh.

 

Jack was moving slowly, deliberately, and Rhys wondered how the hell could he remain his fucking composure when they were up against each other like that.

 

But, evidently, Rhys was giving Jack too much credit, because the moment Rhys pushed him down on the bed and started kissing at his neck, Jack melted down, moaning loudly, his fingers tugging painfully at Rhys’s hair. Rhys momentarily forgot whether the walls of his apartment were soundproof or not, but that really didn’t matter, because a few disgruntled neighbors were  _nothing_ compared to the way Jack’s eyes rolled into his head when Rhys pressed down a slow, wet kiss on his cloth covered cock.

 

Jack was now tugging at his boxers with one hand, his other still in Rhys’s hair, and Rhys felt his entire world stop for a second, because  _fucking hell_ , Jack was about to take his cock out, and it was everything and anything Rhys could have ever wanted in this life. Rhys nervously removed the cloth, pulling it down, and his eyes widened at the sheer size and width of Jack.

 

He swallowed down, suddenly feeling way less confident than before.

 

“Scared, kitten?”- Jack purred, his hand wandering down to give his cock a few slow pumps.

 

Rhys bit down on the back of his arm, muffling a moan. Handsome goddamn Jack was lying underneath him, completely and absolutely naked, one hand under his head, the other on his cock, looking him right in the eye, and jacking off without any shame. Rhys felt like he was going to pass out from all the emotions swirling around in his stomach at the moment.

 

“Don’t worry, baby boy, I’ll be gentle,”- He laughed, bringing Rhys down by his neck, kissing his mouth, biting down on his lips.

 

“Daddy, p-please,”- Rhys moaned, his cock painfully twitching in his hand, tired of being left out. Jack didn’t even ask him to say it this time…  _God,_ he was going to die of embarrassment in the morning.

 

But it was all so fucking worth it, seeing Jack sharply take a breath, then lean down and violently bite Rhys on his shoulder, -“You’re driving me insane, you asshole. I’m going to make you scream so loud you won’t talk for  _weeks_.”

 

Jack reached out for the lube once again, pouring it down his fingers, pushing Rhys down on the bed. He adjusted his fingers at his entrance, massaging on the outside, making Rhys squirm. His other hand was roughly holding down Rhys’s hip, and Rhys was really fucking certain it would bruise, but it felt like fucking paradise, so who even cared anymore.

 

“You ready for this, beautiful?”- Jack asked, prodding a finger, and Rhys could only nod his head, whimpering loudly.

 

The next moment it was cold and burning at the same time, and Rhys swallowed down hard, releasing a low moan. He was going to take it in and bear it, otherwise Jack’s cock would be completely out of the question.

 

And,  _god,_  did he want  _that_ inside him.

 

How many years has it been since he first had a dream like this?

 

_Way too many._

 

The only thing Rhys knew is that this was _way_ overdue. He wasn’t about to ruin this moment because of a mild discomfort.

 

“How’s that, baby?”- Jack asked, kissing down on his forehead, -“You alright there?”

Rhys only nodded, licking his lips. His voice wavered when he tried to talk, -“K-Keep going.”

 

Jack began moving slowly, working his finger in and out of Rhys’s body. Rhys could only breathe heavily, staring at the numerous faces of Jack plastered around his wall. Being fingered by Jack, while surrounded by Jack…

 

Rhys suddenly remembered how Vaughn said that having multiple Jacks around him was basically his ‘wet dream’ and, well… Maybe, just  _maybe,_ he was right. This did seem to be something akin to a dream, and Rhys didn’t want to wake up anytime soon.

 

“Look at me, princess,”- Jack turned his face towards him with his free hand, taking a moment to look Rhys in the eye, -“I wanna see you fall apart.”

 

“Ja- Aaah-“- Rhys gave another loud moan while trying to say the other man’s name, suddenly feeling more pressure prodding at his entrance.

 

“One more, okay, doll?”- Jack asked, leaning down, kissing Rhys’s lips, licking down his jaw, -“Wanna make you nice and ready for the big guy.”

 

Rhys only covered his face with his hands, throwing his head back, -“Oh, for the love of- Can you  _please_ not refer to your dick like that!?”

Jack only laughed, inserting another finger, and Rhys was practically yelling now, clawing at the bed sheets.

 

“Too much?”- Jack was looming over Rhys’s cock then, his breath ghosting over his head, making him shudder.

“N-No…”- Rhys swallowed hard, watching Jack’s free hand wander over to his cock, grab it by the base, his mouth suddenly encompassing him whole.

Rhys moaned loudly again, almost certain he was going to either pass out or throw up from so many sensations. Jack’s fingers were scissoring him open, while his tongue was swirling around his head. Rhys pulled at Jack’s hair, forcing him down, wanting to feel more, more,  _more_ -

 

Jack pulled back then, leaving his cock out in the open, cold air giving him goosebumps. He licked his lips, a trickle of saliva rolling down his chin, -“Always wondered what you taste like, kitten.”

 

He also retrieved his fingers, spreading Rhys’s legs wide open, dabbing the last bits of lube onto his cock. Rhys immediately missed the burning in his body, but the feeling was replaced with anticipation.

 

“Ready?”- Jack asked, positioning himself. He threw one of Rhys’s legs over his shoulder, pressing Rhys up against a wall.

 

“F-Fuck me, daddy,”- Rhys breathed out, his mind clouded over, his eyes hazy and unfocused.

 

Jack made a noise, something between a groan and a laugh, prodding at Rhys’s entrance. He was obviously impatient, sliding in harsher than Rhys would’ve liked, and yet still much, _much_ slower. He felt the burning again, only about ten times as intense, felt the tears welling up in his eyes from pain.

 

He shut his eyes tight, feeling a tear roll down his cheeks, swallowing down the pain. Jack’s fingers were painfully digging into his thighs, and he was standing still for the next few moments, holding his breath, his head thrown back, his eyes shut tight.

 

Rhys had already adjusted to the pain, was beginning to move, shifting uncomfortable, yet Jack was as still as ever.

 

“J-Ja…?”- He whispered, breaking out the other man from his stupor. Jack was then smiling wildly, his eyes almost mad, his fingers wrapping around Rhys’s cock, giving it a few harsh pumps.

“Ooooh yesss,  _fucking hell-_  Rhys-“- He almost yelled, and Rhys could swear he was shaking, -“You won’t  _believe_ how fucking long I’ve waited for this- A-Aah-“

 

Rhys moved again, making Jack roll his eyes and bite down on his lip, silencing his moan, -“You’re  _so._   _Fucking._   _Tight-_ “

 

He took another moment to look at Rhys, before bringing their mouths together in a sloppy kiss, rolling his hips slowly, then more violent, until he was pounding into Rhys with all he had.

 

Rhys’s head jerked back with every move, Jack’s hand preventing him from hitting the wall. Jack was groaning loudly, and if the neighbors didn’t hear them before, they sure as hell were hearing them now. Rhys was either screaming out Jack’s name, or moaning into Jack’s shoulder, biting down to stifle his cries every time Jack hit that one spot in his body. Jack’s hands then moved to his throat, and he was squeezing it, and Rhys was choking, but not enough to pass out or asphyxiate, just enough to have his vision swim and his senses overload from pleasure.

 

Jack shifted, and then Rhys was lying on the bed again, his legs in the air, Jack’s hands still pressing down on his airways, Jack’s lips coming down to meet his own, and then they were kissing roughly again, and Rhys was moaning into his mouth, and he was losing consciousness every few seconds. Jack’s hands moved down to his cock then, and he was panting out his name, moving his hand in time with each thrust, and Rhys could only see the ceiling for a good few moments, before everything went dark, and he was coming with a loud cry.

 

He could still feel Jack moving inside him, could still feel Jack’s hand on his cock, but his body was drained then, and everything seemed to fade into the background as he just lay there, motionless, panting hard, coming off of his high.

 

The next moment he looked at Jack, he was licking his hand clean off of Rhys's cum, looking straight at Rhys, his eyes unfocused. He bit down on his hand in the next second, groaning loudly, and Rhys could feel himself fill up. It was a weird sensation, but the look on Jack’s face as he came crying out Rhys’s name made anything in the world worth it.

 

Jack took a few moments to breathe, staring at a wall with unseeing eyes, before he roughly pulled out of Rhys, and Rhys could feel himself slowly being emptied out. In all honesty, it was the grossest sensation in the world, but he couldn’t care less just then.

 

Jack dropped down on the bed beside Rhys, just breathing heavily without saying a single word. They stared at each other in silence for a few moments, Rhys looking over the mess that Handsome Jack was.

 

His perfect hair was messed up beyond repair at that point, his face stained with saliva and Rhys’s cum, his eyes, usually so focused and sharp, unseeing and hazy.

 

Rhys never thought he looked more beautiful than he did just then.

 

He slowly traced his fingers over the man’s cheek, wiping away the stains, his hands feeling heavy and limp. Jack blinked at him slowly, then raised his arms, encircling him and bringing him close to his chest.

 

Rhys could feel his heart beating fast, could smell his cologne, mixed with body musk and sweat, his body radiating warmth and comfort. That sense of security soon lulled Rhys to sleep, despite the sticky feeling on (and in) his body.

 

The bed sheets were most definitely ruined, weren’t they…

 

“You drive me so fucking wild, Rhys,”- Jack mumbled, half asleep himself, still holding Rhys close to his chest. Who would’ve thought Handsome Jack was a cuddler... -“I’ve completely fallen for you, haven’t I…”

 

Rhys could no longer tell what he was dreaming and what Jack was saying in real life.

 

The only thing he could do was press himself closer to the other man’s body, getting lost in the comforting darkness that followed suit.

 


	15. Chapter 15

"..."

 

“..ack..”

 

“…”

 

“…Jack.”

 

“Nngh…”

 

“Jack!”

 

“What…”

 

“Jack! Wake up already!”

 

“Five more minutes, sweetie, daddy will be right with ya...”

 

 

 

 

“-Oh my god, will you _stop_ calling yourself that already!?”

 

Jack’s eyes snapped open when he realized that the person he was talking to was, indeed, not his daughter, but rather a very annoyed looking Rhys. He blinked slowly at the kid once, turning over in bed and pulling the blanket over his head. He heard Rhys scoff, and smiled to himself.

He loved annoying him.

 

His bed was feeling unusually uncomfortable today, way too stiff for his liking. Not to mention it was tiny, for some reason, and he was pressed up against a wall…

 

Jack’s eyes snapped open for the second time once he realized he wasn’t _in_ his bed. Hell, he wasn't even in his house.

Staring back at him from the wall was a cutout of his own face from a magazine he didn’t even know. It was... Disorienting to wake up to your own face.

 

He felt a harsh kick to his back then, followed by a ‘get out of bed, dammit’. He sharply turned over, annoyed, placing the damn brat in a headlock, and ruffled his hair with his fist.  

 

"What the hell!? Who do ya think you are, kiddo?”- He pressed Rhys into the bed, wrestling him down as the other laughed, -“What, fucked Handsome Jack once, and now ya think ya can just boss people around like that, huh?”

“Get- Get off me, Jack- That tickles!”- Rhys cried out through laughter, pushing Jack’s face away with the palm of his hand, -“Seriously, we have to go-“

Jack took a moment just then, looking Rhys up and down, noticing the deep blue and purple bruises on his throat. Jack pressed down gently on one of them, making Rhys hiss out in pain, and immediately removed his fingers. Rhys’s body was entirely covered with hickeys, bruises, and bite marks, his throat and thighs getting the worst of it.

Jack was pretty damn happy with his handiwork. 

“Look what I did to you, Rhysie,”- He smiled, seeing the blush spread out across the kid’s face, -“You know, not many people get to have my hands around their throat and live.”

 

Rhys pushed him off, sitting up. To Jack’s great discontent, he was already wearing a pair of boxers. _Pity_.

 

“Yes, well, I hope you’re proud of yourself, cuz it hurts to talk, walk, and exist,”- He said, standing up and stretching out. The guy was wonderfully shaven in all areas of his body, a fact that Jack appreciated greatly. Jack stared, unapologetic, as Rhys bent over and picked up their disregarded clothes from the night before.

He simply stretched out on the bed, enjoying the show, feeling his heart pleasantly speed up when Rhys turned around and blushed, realizing he was being watched.  _Now THIS is a wonderful thing to wake up to...._

 

Rhys was the most adorable thing ever, that was certain.

 

“What’s the rush, cupcake,”- He mumbled, yawning and getting comfortable in bed. Sure, he was still sticky and gross in all sorts of places, but they had the rest of the day to wash up. He was the president, dammit, he could allow himself another day off.

“Well, if you would’ve just listened to what I have to say yesterday instead of running down here to fuck me senseless, you would’ve known,”- Rhys sounded serious, but he was blushing nevertheless, and that made Jack chuckle.

“Heh, senseless. Ain’t that the truth.”

 

“Jack,”- Rhys sighed then, turning around to face him with a shirt in his hands, -“...I’m going down to Pandora.”

 

At that, Jack didn’t feel like laughing anymore. He sat up, suddenly more concerned than anything, Where the hell did that come from?

 

What the hell did he need down there _now?_

 

“Remember the lost loader bot?”

“Oh, so _that’s_ what it’s all about,”- Jack rolled his eyes, dropping back down, -“We’ll just send a shuttle down there and get it over with.”

“No, Jack- I... I have to go down there myself,”- Rhys seemed serious enough, and he was already putting on a clean turtleneck sweater and a pair of black striped pants, -“My friends- Well, I just... I need to face them.”

“Are ya crazy, kiddo?”- Jack threw a pillow at him (missing, and hitting the wardrobe), standing up and walking over to Rhys. He didn't even have the mood to make fun of his stupid ass sweater, -“I understand you going down there last time, but now? And for those friggin’ bandits!?”

“They’re _not_ bandits, Jack. And for god’s sake, put on a pair of pants,”- Rhys threw over his boxers, and Jack easily caught them in one hand.

“They may as well be bandits. Trust me, Rhysie, you go down there – they shoot you right in the head. They wouldn’t even hesitate before betraying ya.”

 

Rhys paused in the middle of buckling his belt, his face turned away from Jack. He resumed a moment later, his voice full of resolve.

 

“They’re my friends, Jack.”

 

"Okay, kid, listen. I didn't let the management destroy that rusty scrap of metal cuz I knew you were attached and yadda yadda. But going down for those shitty ass bandits?  _Really?"_

"You  _knew_ I was looking for them, Jack-"

"I didn't think you would actually go  _through_ with it-!"- Jack sighed heavily, interrupting himself and collecting his thoughts. He ran a hand through his hair, trying his best not to lose his cool _again_. It was always like that with the stupid brat - he just couldn't get it through his thick skull.

 

People betray people. 

 

_All the time._

 

He could make an excuse for that little girl friend of his - she was Hyperion, and Rhys was obviously using her for a reason.

 

But those Pandoran bandit scum?  _No way._

 

Rhys remained silent, just looking at the ground, his fists clenched at his side. Jack sighed again, decidedly shaking his head, -“I’m not letting you go there. They’ll kill you in the blink of an eye.”

 

“They’re my _friends_ , Jack. A-And friends don’t kill frie-,"- Rhys suddenly cried out, his voice cracking at the last word. He coughed a little, clearing his throat, and then turned away, whispering under his breath, -"But it’s not like you’d understand…”

 

Jack's head shot up at that - he felt something tighten in his throat, his stomach churning. He walked over to Rhys, sharply turning him around to face him, and pressing him up against the wall.

 

“The fuck _I_ won’t understand, huh!?”- He yelled, slamming his hand on the wall beside Rhys’s head, seeing the other flinch.

 

 _No good_.

 

He was pissed off, and there was no stopping now.

 

“Don’t you think _I_ didn’t have friends who betrayed me!?”

 

His voice was cracking now, the memory of _those_ days flashing before his eyes. He turned away from Rhys before he could hurt him any further, walked away before he would do something he regretted, but his hands were shaking already, and he couldn't stop the words that were coming out of his mouth.

“What _the fuck_  do you think made me the way I am today!?”- He yelled slamming down on the table opposite Rhys’s bed. Rhys only flinched again, his face distorting into an expression somewhere between horrified and pitiful.

“Jack-”

“Oh, for fuck’s sake, my own girlfriend- My fucking girlfriend betrayed me-!”- Jack was now staring down at the table, his eye twitching, the faces of all those who have ever crossed him flying in his vision, scenes from the past taunting him. Moxxi, Roland, _that fucking bitch_ Lillith, and then his own fucking _daughter_ -

He inhaled sharply when he suddenly felt pressure on his back, jumping a little, only to realize Rhys was hugging him from behind. Jack took a slow deep breath, clenching his fists, trying his best to calm down.

 

He didn't... expect Rhys to be brave enough to approach him when he was in... this state...

 

“I-I’m sorry... I didn’t mean to make you mad, I-I-I just… I didn’t know,”- Rhys mumbled into his back, and Jack shakily grabbed onto his hand, circling his thumb on its palm.

 

“Yeah. Yeah, you didn’t,"- Jack finally said after a long moment. He didn't think he would calm down that easily from his sudden outburst - Rhys's presence just had that soothing effect, -"It’s all in the past, anyway."

 

Jack sighed once again then, turning around and standing up on his tiptoes, pressing his lips to Rhys’s forehead. _Stupid, tall kid…_

 

“Jack-“

 

“I just don’t want you going down there, okay? I’m not letting bandits steal anything precious from me ever again,”- Jack said, ruffling Rhys’s hair. The kid was blushing now, either because of the act or because Jack called him ‘precious’. Whichever the case, Jack enjoyed every moment of it, -“Besides, we’ve got a party next week.”

“Party?”- Rhys turned his head, looking confused. Looks like he didn’t hear about it yet.

“Yeah, all the big shots from management are throwing us a sort of welcome back party. Or, uh, just ‘welcome’, in your case. They wanna make the whole president thing official and whatnot. _I_ , personally, think it’s stupid as shit, but you look like you’d enjoy that kinda thing.”

“Oh…”- Rhys only smiled, looking pleasantly surprised.

 

Jack smiled too, only if the kid was too damn cute for his own good.

 

“Jack, listen, I…”- He began again, and Jack pursed his lips, already not liking where this was going, -“I-I have to go, okay? I _know_ Fi and Sash- I know they won’t do anything to harm me. Uh, except maybe a couple of bruises and a concussion, but never mind that. Just… The way things ended, it’s not _right_. I have to go there, talk to them, and... Y'know, fix it.”

 

Jack massaged his shoulder in frustration, cracking his neck. Why was he so friggin’ insistent?

 

_Aren’t they just stupid grifters?_

 

Before he could even say a word, Rhys was speaking again, -“Okay, I know how to convince you. Remember Gortys? Gortys, the great powerful Vault summoning Atlas robot?”

 

Alright... _Now_ it was getting interesting.

 

Jack turned his full attention towards Rhys, who was smiling smugly. He _knew_ how to get Jack interested.  _Little asshole_.

 

“Okay, so I’m at least, like, 70% sure Gortys is there together with LB, Sasha, and Fiona,”- He said, whispering like a conspirator.

 

Jack only cocked an eyebrow at him.

 

“70 is not too much, kid.”

 

“It’s all we’ve got. You were all about searching for Vaults and defeating giant monsters back in the day, weren’t you? Don’t tell me Handsome Jack doesn’t have the balls on this new clone body to go after another one?”

Rhys was standing triumphantly with his arms crossed over his chest, smirking like the smug little shit that he was. He knew _exactly_ what to say to get under Jack’s skin, and Jack knew _exactly_ what he was doing - but he’d be damned to hell for all eternity if he let that dickhead think he didn’t have the balls for _anything_.

 

He was Handsome _goddamn_ Jack, and he was going to go get that friggin’ Vault.

 

“Ughh, you know what? FINE. Do whatever you fucking want,”- He threw his hands up in the air, turning his back to Rhys and walking over to the bathroom, -“If you wanna get killed down there, suit yourself.”

 

He was too annoyed to do anything else right now, so he just slammed the bathroom door behind him, letting Rhys get on with whatever he planned on doing.

 

“And don’t come back without my damn Vault!”- He yelled, making sure Rhys didn’t get too cocky for winning the argument.

 

He quickly sent a message over to management over the Echocom, providing clear instructions to give Rhys the toughest, fastest car (because he just _knew_ the kid would want another fucking car to destroy in that hellhole) and the strongest, easiest to handle gun they had.

 

 _And make sure to FUCKING LOAD IT THIS TIME_ , - He wrote at the end, sending off the message, and stepping into the tiny shower cabin.

 

These apartments really fucking sucked.

 

• • • •

 

“Hey, Fi?”

 

“Hm?”

 

“Do you think they’re okay?”

 

Sasha was lying on the couch, twirling a gun on her finger and absentmindedly staring off into the ceiling. If it was anyone else, Fiona would probably tell them that playing with a weapon like that was dangerous.

 

But it was her baby sister - and if something was dangerous, she was twice as likely to do it.

 

“Who?”- Fiona asked, polishing the inside of her own gun. Of course she knew who Sasha was talking about – they had this conversation ever so often, but never dwelled on it. It was difficult to let go of people after spending so much time with them, after all.

“You know who I’m talking about.”

Fiona stopped tinkering with the gun, putting it aside and standing up to wander over to the fridge, -“President Asshole and his little friend? They’re just hunky dory, I’m sure of it”

 

“...Yeah?”

 

“Oh, yeaaah. They’re probably up on that amazing space station of theirs, drinking champagne and figuring out how to make Pandora into more of a living hell than it already is,”- She popped out a carton of milk, drinking straight from it rather than bothering to find a glass.

“Huh... I never had champagne before. Is it good?”

“Beats me.”

 

Closing the fridge door with her heel, Fiona looked over at Sasha, expecting her to be staring off just like before. Instead, she found that her sister was now looking at the floor, a defeated expression on her face.

 

“Alright - what’s wrong, Sash?”- Fiona asked, sighing and sitting down beside her. She was being unusually quiet all day, and now Fiona was finally starting to more or less realize why.

 

“It’s just… It’s not right, you know? The way things ended up on Helios… I don’t understand it. That was just wrong.”

 

“There’s nothing _to_ understand. Rhys chose Jack over us. _That_ was wrong.”

 

“…You think so?”

 

Fiona just sighed again, standing up and walking over to the photo of Felix (and some other lady standing next to him) they got from his apartment in Hollow Point. The only photo they had of the three of them got lost among the hustle, so Fiona took this one as a memento. Whatever he may have done, he still was almost like a father to them.

Sasha refused to look at it even now.

 

Being betrayed really sucked, didn’t it…

 

She didn’t really expect Rhys to become Hyperion’s president, didn’t want to believe that Jack really was alive… But it was all real, and it all happened.

 

And that asshole didn’t even bother to tell them anything that was going on…

 

When he climbed back down the trap door, Sasha had to hold back Fiona from pushing down the lever - honestly, she was just so friggin’ angry and disappointed.

So when he did finally show up, she rightfully sucker punched him in the face and threw him in a cell, taking the last Gortys piece. You really couldn’t trust Hyperion scum, could you…

 

At least they didn’t have problems getting back down to Pandora while Jack wreaked havoc on Helios’s unsuspecting employees.

But after they got down, it was chaos.

 

And Gortys… She…

 

_Dammit._

 

“Do you think… It could’ve turned out any differently?”- Sasha suddenly asked, bringing Fiona out of her thoughts. 

 

Fiona furrowed her eyebrows, taking a moment to think, but then decidedly shook her head. 

 

“No. No, it couldn’t have,”- She simply said, picking her gun back up.

It hurt to say it, and she could see that that hurt Sasha even more, but it was the truth. And they had to face it.

 

Before she could continue on with polishing her gun, Janey popped her head through the door, calling out to both of them.

 

“Soo, this is, like, totally unexpected, but there’s someone here to see yaaa,”- She half-said, half-sung, opening the door wider.

 

On the other end of the room, among the junkyard that was Scooter’s garage, stood-

 

“Oh, you gotta be kidding me,”- Fiona rolled her eyes, as Sasha jumped up from her seat, dropping her gun to the floor with a loud thud.

 

_“Rhys!”_

 


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> let's all pretend Rhys and Janey know each other okay there is no evidence to say they haven't met at least once so

Rhys stood in front of the doors to Scooter’s garage- or, rather, Janey’s garage, now that Scooter was-

Yeah.

 

He swallowed down nervously, suddenly feeling all the confidence flee from his body. According to the coordinates Yvette managed to obtain, Loader Bot arrived at Hollow Point around three days ago, and stayed here until now. Rhys was almost certain Fiona, Sasha, and Gortys had to be there as well.

 

The only problem was facing all of them. 

 

He wasn't worried about the same things Jack was worried about - he knew he wouldn't die here today. Well, at the hands of Fiona and Sasha anyway- Athena was another deal.

 

He remembered Fiona mentioning she was dating Janey at the time. Maybe she was here as well. 

Rhys didn’t want to run into her, but he still hoped she was okay. The last time he saw her, she, uh, didn’t seem to be doing so well.

 

The garage doors were suddenly opening, and in his great panic, Rhys jumped straight into the nearest dumpster without a second thought.

 

_So much for wearing my nice sweater…_

 

Athena and Janey were together on the other side of the door, talking about something Rhys couldn’t hear, before Athena gave her a quick kiss and went off into the night.

Rhys, thankfully, remained unnoticed.

 

He did see Athena throw on her hood and run off into the distance once she was certain she was out of Janey’s sight, but he wasn’t about to question what that was all about.

Janey was closing the garage doors then, and Rhys hastily climbed out- or, rather, dropped out of the dumpster, making her jump in surprise.

 

“Oi, what the heck!?”- She cried out, the garage door stopping midway.

“Janey, Janey- Wait-“- Rhys breathed out heavily, running over to the girl. He didn’t know where Athena was off to or for how long, but he didn’t want to waste any time. Vault Hunters probably already heard news of his recent, uh, ‘promotion’, and wouldn’t hesitate to use it against Jack.

“Rhys? Is that you?”- She raised an eyebrow, smiling wide at him, -“Bloody hell, didn’t think I’d be seeing you any time soon ‘round ‘ere!”

 

Rhys couldn’t help but smile back, patting down his sweater, removing any trash that may have stuck to him, -“Good to see you too, Janey.”

 

She was a really nice person - one of the nicer ones down on Pandora. Rhys actually enjoyed her company.

 

“Why were you in the dumpster?”

“Never mind that- are Fiona and Sasha here?”- He asked, suddenly getting all nervous once again. He only hoped and prayed that they were - or its starting from square one all over again.

“Yeah, how’d ya know? Come on in, I’m sure they’re be delighted to see you!”- She waved him in, closing the garage door behind them.

“Oh, yeah, haha- I somehow really… doubt… that…”- Rhys sighed, looking around the place.

 

It didn’t look much different than before, except maybe there was more junk lying around this time. Janey went off into the back room, leaving Rhys alone, with nothing else but a rusty old car standing in the middle of the room.

 

And on top of the car was…

 

“Loader Bot!!!”- Rhys exclaimed, running over to the robot, who only seemed to notice him just then.

 

He turned his head, and if he could express emotions, Rhys was certain he would be quite surprised to see him.

 

“Rhys!”- He exclaimed back, with as much passion as a robot could, and threw his giant arms over the man, bringing him up into the air, -“This is a plot twist.”

“I missed you so much, buddy!”- Rhys hugged him back, pleasantly surprised that he now had not only a new pair of legs, but also a fresh coat of paint over him. He was now stylishly dark blue, with a few silver linings here and there.

Janey did a good job. 

“I missed you more,”- He replied in his robotic voice that made Rhys’s heart swell with joy.

 

At least _somebody_ here missed him.

 

“Rhys!”- He suddenly heard an all too familiar voice from the other end of the room, and Loader Bot placed him back on the ground.

 

And there they were…

 

Fiona and Sasha.

 

The two people he wanted to see most... and least, at the same time. 

 

They were standing in what appeared to be a worker’s lounge on the other side of the door, Sasha by the couch and Fiona by a dresser.

 

“Speak of the devil…”- Fiona glared him down, hands on her hips. She changed her entire attire to black, including her hat, but other than that, she didn’t look much different from before.

Sasha, on the other hand, completely changed her hairstyle, cutting her hair shorter, and was now wearing an orange bandana around her head. She was looking at him not with contempt, but rather with surprise.

 

Well, he definitely knew who he should be approaching first.

 

Still, something in his chest clenched painfully upon seeing them. It was… nice.

 

Yeah, he definitely missed them.

 

And, well, they weren't shooting him yet, so Jack was wrong about that. Not that Rhys ever had any doubts, but still.

 

“Hey, guys...”- He lamely waved, scratching at the back of his neck. He didn’t exactly write a script when coming down here - a decision which he was really starting to regret, -“How’s it going?”

Fiona raised her eyebrow, clearly unimpressed, and Sasha took a few small steps forward, standing by her sister.

“Yeaah, how about I leave you guys to it?”- Janey suddenly interrupted, walking over to Rhys and dragging him by the elbow into the lounge room. She threw him inside, slamming the door behind him.

Rhys stumbled in, and fell over on the floor, right at the sisters’ feet. Everyone on this planet had no problem manhandling him as they saw fit, which was starting to get on his nerves.  

 

_Ugh... Welcome back to Pandora._

 

“Rhys... What are you doing here…?”- Sasha began furrowing her eyebrows. She didn’t look mad or pissed like Fiona did, but rather… hurt. And that hurt Rhys as well.

“And why do you smell like a dumpster?”- Fiona continued, scrunching up her nose.

 

Rhys stood up then, once again brushing down his already messed up sweater, and turned to face the unimpressed looking girls.

 

“Haha, well… You guys know how things ended back on Helios, right?”

“Right?”- Fiona crossed her arms over, looking more and more pissed by the minute.

“Well… I came back down to fix the mess I caused. And, well... To apologize,”- There, he said it.

 

_Now, please forgive me and let’s move on._

 

“Oh, is that _so?_ ”- Fiona was obviously not going to let him off easy. She walked over to the couch, sitting down, throwing her arms across its back and crossing her legs, -“So does this mean you blew up Helios, ruined Hyperion as a company, and killed the scum that is Handsome Jack?”

“Wha-? Well, no, but-“

“Then you didn’t fix anything.”

“Fiona!”- Sasha finally stepped in, leveling her sister with a glare, -“Let him speak.”

 

Rhys exhaled, happy that at least he had half of them on his side.

 

“And you - don’t look so relieved. You’re not off the hook yet,”- Sasha turned to face him, sneering down, -“You better have some good damn explanation for behaving the way you did.”

Rhys held his breath again.

 

 _Of course_ it wasn’t gonna be that easy.

 

Well, he only had to tell them his story, right?

 

And he was _good_ at telling stories.

 

 

• • • •

 

 

“And, after gearing up, I went down to Pandora _myself_ , because I knew I had to apologize to you guys face to face. So I'll say it again and again, as many times as it takes - _I'm sorry_. ”

 

Fiona didn’t buy it for a second, but Sasha was actually looking quite moved.

 

 _Jack_ told him about Loader Bot's coordinates!? _Bullshit_.

 

Handsome Jack didn’t do _anything_ that wouldn’t benefit him. Rhys was hiding something, and she knew it. There were just too many holes in that story.

 

“You really searched for us when you got back down here the first time?”- Sasha asked, her demeanor softening up.

Fiona simply rolled her eyes - she was always a big softie.

“I did! I really, _truly_ did,”- Rhys nodded, shifting his eyes between them, -“But after the two giant monsters and the Vault were gone, I couldn’t find anyone or anything. Speaking of which… Where’s Gortys? I haven’t seen her since I got here.”

 

Fiona saw Sasha avert her eyes, and did the same. A heavy silence fell between them, and Rhys was noticeably growing more agitated the more they didn’t talk.

 

“Uh… guys?”

 

“She’s gone,”- Fiona simply stated, standing back up from the couch to get more milk from the fridge. She always went to the fridge when she was asked questions she didn’t exactly want to answer.

“What’s that supposed to mean-?”

“Gortys summoned the Vault, and the Guardian appeared. It killed Vallory, and Gortys wasn’t able to defeat it. So, to save us, she…”- Sasha couldn’t continue, simply looking at the ground, pressing her gun close to her chest. Fiona knew it gave her assurance.

 

“She sacrificed herself to save us,”- Loader Bot interjected. Nobody noticed him come into the room – which was weird, considering he was a giant robot.

 

“There was nothing we could do,”- Fiona finished up, taking a swing of the carton.

 

Rhys simply sat there, stunned, looking between their faces.

 

Fiona remembered just how _difficult_ it was to pull the trigger on that bazooka. They knew each other for so little, yet they were all basically a family.

 

Before everything went to shit, that is.

 

“No way- No friggin’ way! There _had_ to be another way! You couldn’t have just _killed-_ “

 

“Not kill, dismember,”- Loader Bot said, showing Rhys the second Gortys piece they managed to recover, -“We cannot bring her back to life without summoning back the Vault.”

 

Rhys took the piece into his hands, rotating it with a thoughtful expression. He took a moment to take all this new information in, and they all remained silent. Fiona finished the remains of her milk, throwing the carton into the bin with expert precision. She secretly hoped everyone noticed her amazing throw just then... But then again, they  _were_ talking about more important things. 

 

“What if…”- Rhys was whispering, his eyes lighting up with another weird scheme of his, -“What if we come up with a plan to revive Gortys _and_ get the Vault?”

“Oh yeah, smart guy? Think we didn’t try that one before?”- Fiona rolled her eyes, dropping back down on the couch.

 

Seriously, corporate folk were all idiots.

 

Rhys only shook his head, not seeming to be offended in the least, -“Not here, but up on Helios.”

 

Fiona then exchanged a look with her sister, who looked just as bewildered as she felt.

 

_Up on that hell trap? No way._

 

“This could be perfect!”- Rhys obviously wasn’t giving up. In fact, he was now standing, walking around the room, his face more concentrated than ever, -“We would all go up there together, create a team to devise a plan, collect info on the Vault and the Guardian, have strategic meetings and stuff- And- And when we figure it out we’ll go back down to Pandora to have Gortys summon the Vault! We defeat the monster, open the Vault and- _boom!_ We’re awesome!”

Fiona had to physically restrain herself from jumping up and yelling at Rhys for his idiocy for even suggesting they go up to Helios again.

 

Instead, she furrowed her eyebrows, and actually tried _thinking_ about the idea for a moment.

 

And after a few moments of thought, in all honesty, it seemed… Half-way descent. She knew for a fact that they couldn't summon Gortys without Rhys, no matter how hard they tried - one of the pieces was imprinted on him, after all. 

 

Plus, if she and Sasha were up on Helios, they wouldn’t have to worry about survival for a while. And Hyperion _did_ have a bunch of fancy devices that could help them defeat the Guardian and get to the Vault... 

“Oh man, Jack is going to be so friggin’ happy to hear about this!”- Rhys exclaimed then, and if Fiona had any doubts before, they were gone now.

 

“What!?”- Sasha stood up, immediately followed by Fiona’s “No way!”

 

Rhys took a step back raising his hands up in defeat, -“Woah, woah, woah! Jack is the _perfect_ person for this plan! He practically _lives_ for the Vaults!”

 

“No. Nuh-uh. No deal,”- Fiona just kept shaking her head, firmly standing her ground, -“There is absolutely _no_ way we’re working with that murdering psychopath.”

 

“Oh, c’mon guys! Jack isn’t that bad!”

 

“He _kills_ people, Rhys!”- Sasha exclaimed then, throwing her gun on the couch in anger.

“So did  _we,_ ”- Rhys retorted, taking a step closer to her. 

“Yeah, _bandits_. We killed BANDITS. HE killed _innocent_ people!”

“Oh, and how do you know if that bandit you shot in the head yesterday didn’t have a family!?”- Rhys was yelling now, and Fiona suddenly realized that his attitude completely changed. He wasn't woozy or conflicted when it came to killing people anymore... It must have been Jack’s influence, -“How did you know _he_ was the bad guy!? Hell, I think Athena killed _way_ more innocent people than Jack-!”

Rhys stopped then, taking a moment to peek out the door and make sure Janey wasn’t listening to any of this. Fiona followed suit, looking over at the girl and realizing she’s been happily tinkering with the car in her headphones.

Good.

 

_Because this dickhole is talking so much shit right now, his face might as well be his ass._

 

“And just _why_ are you defending him so much, President Pisslord?”- Fiona asked then, getting tired of this show. It was all going nowhere, fast.

“Because-!”- Rhys began, but then closed his mouth, getting a weird expression on his face. Fiona didn’t like it one bit, -“Because… You don’t even _know_ him. And you’re going around, making accusations, like you’re oh-so-much-better than him. But you know what the truth is!? We’re _all_ screwed up. And sure, Jack may _just_ be the worst of us, but he went through so much more shit that we did... What’s to tell we don’t turn out just like him in time!?”

 

Fiona clenched her jaw, scrunching up her nose. Every word that came out of Rhys's mouth was annoying her to hell and back, but then she began to think - and not about whether Jack truly was a better person (she knew he wasn't). Blocking out the weirdly heartfelt monologue, she thought about all the pros and cons of actually going up to Helios and getting to that Vault. 

 

Whether the prize was worth the risk.

 

“I’m not saying he didn’t do bad things – he did them, and he did a _lot_ of them. But, hell, no one’s going to change if you don’t give them the chance to, right?”

Fiona thought about how the Vault was going to change their lives.

 

Sasha was looking at her now, probably hoping to find some resolve in her older sister.

“So, I guess what I’m trying to say is… Give him a chance to prove you wrong. Jack, he… He always looks out for his team. I promise.”

 

Fiona just averted her eyes to look at the couch she's been sleeping on for the past three days. 

Before she could even devise a retort, Loader Bot waddled over to Rhys’s side, placing a hand on his shoulder.

“I’m with Rhys,”- He said, looking between Fiona and Sasha, -“It _is_ our chance to help Gortys. You can count me in.”

 

Rhys placed his own cybernetic hand on top of Loader Bot’s, looking up at him in thanks. Fiona looked over at Sasha, who stared back at her for a moment, before gravely nodding.

 

At that point, Fiona couldn’t restrain herself from rolling her eyes even if she wanted to. She didn't buy anything Rhys said about Jack, except for one thing - the man really did live for Vaults. And she was just smart enough to understand that this might as well be their last chance at making it big. 

 

Definitely their only chance at bringing Gortys back.

 

So for now, she would just play along.

 

“Uuuuugh, _fine,"-_ She drawled, making Sasha look at her in surprise, -"You win. We’ll go to Helios.”

 

"Fiona-"- Her sister began, but Fiona just gravely nodded at her, looking her straight in the eyes. This was their code for 'I know exactly what I'm doing', and so Sasha followed suit without further question. 

 

Rhys threw a fist up in the air, exclaiming loudly, -“Woo! Yeah! That’s the spirit!”

 

He bro-fisted Loader Bot, and went over to give Fiona and Sasha a tight hug,

 

“You guys-!”- He squealed, and Fiona wanted to punch him in the face already.

 

" _Only_ until we find the Vault- And we're  _still_ not trusting Jack completely-"- Sasha choked out as Rhys squeezed her with his cybernetic arm. 

 

Fiona smiled, grateful for her sister's ability to read the situation. 

 

 _Maybe_ they gave in too quickly, and just  _maybe_ this was the wrong decision to make - but she was doing it for Sasha, for Loader Bot, and for Gortys. Rhys promised them safety... And that was way more than they had on Pandora.

 

So, for now, it was the best course of action. They would figure things out as they went along. 

 

“We better have the _best_ facilities up there. And champagne! Loads of champagne!”- Sasha called out to Rhys as the latter walked away, pressing buttons on his Echocom.

 

She nodded back at Fiona, placing a hand on her shoulder, before Loader Bot picked them both up in another tight embrace.

 

Maybe - just maybe - it was time to forgive Rhys after all.

 

As soon as LB placed them back on the ground, Fiona went over to gather a few things together before they left, noting that Rhys was now talking to someone in the corner of the room. 

 

“Hey! Yeah, it’s great! N-No, no, I’m fine, I swear,”- He was talking into his Echocom, but Fiona couldn’t hear the other person at all. She was certain it was Jack anyway, -“I swear, I don’t have any bullet holes in me. Th-That’s- You know damn well what _that_ is! Anyway-“

 

Rhys suddenly flushed pink, turning away to face the wall, and Fiona got incredibly damn interested. What was making him squirm so much?

 

Sasha was busy packing what little she had and chatting up Loader Bot, so Fiona got closer to Rhys without a distraction in an attempt to eavesdrop some more.

 

“Can you send us a shuttle down? Uh, no, not yet, but I have a plan. Or, rather, we’re _going_ to have a plan. I’ll explain when we get there,”- Rhys didn’t notice her getting close, but, unfortunately, she still couldn’t hear the other person. _Dammit,_  -“Aw, c’mon, don’t be like that. You _know_ you miss me. Yeah, whatever, same thing. I’m bringing everyone over too, so expect us, okay? Yeah, alright. _Of course_ not. Ye-Yeah, I got it already, just send the damn shuttle, geez. Thanks. Yeah, okay. Love you, bye.”

 

Rhys hung up then, still not turning back from the wall.

 

Fiona’s eyes grew wider, and she took a few steps back, immediately pretending to be packing.

 

Wh-What the...

 

_Love you!?_

 

That _couldn’t_ have been Jack, could it!? It was probably just Vaughn- No, that also didn’t seem right. His girlfriend? _His mom?_

 

Honestly, all of those options seemed _way_ more probable than Jack being on the other line.

 

Did that idiot say it by mistake, kinda like Sasha would sometimes accidentally call Felix ‘dad’?

 

No, but then, what was that whole ‘you know you miss me’ thing about??

 

Something very, _very_ fishy was going on, and Fiona didn’t like the feel of any of that. Rhys was still standing facing the wall, unmoving, and Fiona had to throw a screw at him to get his attention.

 

“G-aah-aah-!”- Rhys jumped up, looking around as though he was being attacked.

 

Fiona rolled her eyes for the millionth time that day. 

 

_Some things just never change…_

 

• • • •

 

 

“Hey there, cupcake! Pandora treating ya alright?”- Jack waved at him from the other side of the screen.

“Hey! Yeah, it’s great!”- Rhys waved back, looking at Jack’s surroundings. He seemed to be in their office, and, judging by the stack of papers on the table, he was either working too hard or not working at all.

 

“Yeah? ‘Cuz I think I see a bullet hole right there in your sweater-“

 

“N-No, no, I’m fine, I swear.”

 

“Hmm, and there’s another one right over there-“

 

“I swear, I don’t have any bullet holes in me,”- Rhys rolled his eyes, and Jack laughed.

 

“Then just _what_ are those blue markings all around your neck?”

 

Rhys flushed a bright crimson, turning to face the wall and pulling his turtleneck higher up, -“Th-That’s- You know damn well what _that_ is! Anyway- Can you send us a shuttle down?“

“Hmm? So, you found my Vault?”

“Uh, no, not yet, but I have a plan. Or, rather, we’re _going_ to have a plan.”

“The hell’s that supposed to mean?”

“I’ll explain when we get there.”

“Mm, yeah, I don’t think so. We had a deal, sweetcheeks. You’re not getting back up here without my Vault.”

 

“Aw, c’mon, don’t be like that,”- Rhys smiled, switching to baby-talk. He knew that if he were in any other situation, he’d probably be pissed off, maybe even afraid. But spending so much time with Jack and getting to know him in all sorts of different ways allowed Rhys to be more diverse in his approaches to the man. He now knew Jack was only half-serious about most of his threats. Or, well, about _half_ of them, anyway, -“You _know_ you miss me.”

 

Jack sighed then, looking wistfully into the distance, -“Nah, not really… But I _do_ miss your ass.”

 

Rhys blushed, rolling his eyes, -“Yeah, whatever, same thing. I’m bringing everyone over too, so expect us, okay?”

 

“Okay, _fine_... Be careful on your way up, alright?”

 

“Yeah, alright.”

“Don’t let anyone shoot you in the back.”

“ _Of course_ not.”

“And-“

“Ye-Yeah, I got it already, just send the damn shuttle, geez.”

 

Jack laughed, smiling warmly at Rhys, -“Alright, sweetheart. Sending one now.”

 

“Thanks.”

 

“See you soon,”- Jack waved at him, making Rhys’s heart ache for home. He wasn’t even gone a full day, yet he already felt like coming back and never leaving Jack’s side again.

 

“Yeah, okay. Love you, bye,”- He turned off the Echocom, smiling happily to himself - before stopping in his tracks and realizing.

 

…

 

_Fuck._

 

_I just fucking said ‘love you’ to Handsome fucking Jack-_

_Fuckfuckfuckfuckfuck-_

_F U C K._

Rhys was pretty much motionless then, just staring into the wall, rethinking all the mistakes he ever made in his life.

 

He was pondering over the words for so long, deliberating whether he did _truly_ love Jack, weighing all the pros and cons and everything and anything-

 

He already decided that the first time he was going to say it – _IF_ he was ever going to say it – was going to be on some special occasion, maybe their anniversary, maybe on a cruise. They would be all alone in the room, and Jack would be hugging him closely to his chest, and Rhys would suddenly realize there was no way he could ever live without this man by his side, and he’d quietly whisper the words for the first time, making Jack gasp, and tear up, and-

 

Okay, _maybe_ that was going too far, but he had it _planned_ , dammit.

 

And then he just went and ruined it all by just casually dropping it at the end of a call. _Great._

 

What if Jack now thought he was pushing things? What if-?

 

Rhys’s train of thoughts (and misery) was then interrupted by something attacking him from a distance. He jumped up, making a strangled noise, looking around him in panic.

 

Oh. Right.

 

He was on Pandora. And for an important reason. _Right._

 

“Hey, dummy!”- Fiona called out to him, waving her hand, -“Quit spacing out. Are we going or not?”

“R-Right!”- Rhys called out back to her, and the three of them, including Loader Bot, went outside. They quickly explained to Janey what was going on (without mentioning Jack’s involvement, of course), Fiona and Sasha thanking her for allowing them to stay with her for so long. She waved them off goodbye, telling Rhys she’d give Athena his regards.

Rhys parked his car a while away, worried that it might cause too much suspicion if he just parked it outside. It was Hyperion’s finest model, after all…

 

And now it was…

 

“ _Completely ruined_ ,”- Rhys’s heart dropped as soon as he saw the state the car was in.

 

Hell, you could hardly call it a car anymore.

 

“This looks like Athena’s work,”- Fiona commented, tracing the shield marks on the edges of the car. Rhys only pouted more.

 

If he could only _once_ come down to Pandora and _NOT_ have his car wrecked…

 

But at least he did park it a while away. If Athena saw this car outside Janey’s garage… Well, Rhys didn’t exactly want to think what would’ve happened then.

 

“More space on the shuttle for us,”- Sasha tried to calm him down, but really, Rhys’s heart was just as wrecked as his car. Jack would never trust him with another one, would he...

 

“Hey, Captain Douchebag, I’ve been meaning to ask you,”- Fiona suddenly said, and Rhys turned his head to look at her. He had a weird feeling in his stomach about this… -“What’s up with the turtleneck?”

Rhys tried to keep his face from flushing, he really did, but the memories of last night flashed before his eyes, and he had to turn away before he could give himself out any further, -“N-Nothing. I-I mean- Fashion."

 

And with that, he marched over to the coordinates of the shuttle’s landing, Fiona and Sasha exchanging a look behind his back.

 

The memories of last night would probably always make him blush like that. After all, it was his _first_ night with Jack…

 

There would be many more to come, right?

 

Would he always blush at them like that?

 

Rhys didn’t exactly know the answers to these questions, but he was starting to realize that maybe he really, truly _did_ love Jack.

 

After all, there weren’t many people in the world he was willing to defend like that, especially in front of people who hated his entire existence. He was beginning to feel that it was worth it.

 

And maybe saying ‘I love you’ in such a casual manner wasn’t that bad, after all. It only showed how close him and Jack really were.

 

Looking up at the descending shuttle, Rhys smiled to himself, tugging at his turtleneck.

 

_Maybe, it was even better…_


	17. Chapter 17

The journey to Helios seemed to take way less time than before. Then again, they didn't really have any... hindrances, like last time.

  
  
Fiona's heart still ached every time she remembered it - that's why she preferred not to think about it at all.

  
  
Watching Pandora decrease in size as they left it for the second time yet again made her think of the promise she made to her sister. A promise she intended to keep no matter what, it would just... take time.  
  
They didn't speak much on the way, all lost in their own thoughts. Fiona wondered whether they would really be able to come up with a plan to defeat the Guardian, but it was too late to back out now.  
  
It was way less scary to enter Helios this time, considering they were actually expected. Rhys gave out commands like an actual boss, and Fiona couldn't help but roll her eyes at his pretentiousness. Rhys was and always will be a giant crybaby, no matter what position he occupied in the chain of command. 

Corporate people were so fake.  
  
  
They made their way through the security without questions, but Fiona could still feel the guards eyeing them suspiciously underneath their helmets.

  
  
Vaughn was waiting for them in front of the Hub of Heroism, where a bunch of bureaucratic assholes were pacing around, all occupied with their thing. As soon as he noticed them, he ran over, throwing his arms around Fiona's and Sasha's necks, pulling them in for a tight hug. Fiona dropped her bag on the floor from the sheer force of the impact.

"Guys! I missed you so much!"

  
"Woah, easy there, tough guy,"- Fiona smiled, having trouble breathing. She hugged him back nevertheless.  
  
"Looking good, Vaughn,"- Sasha said, also hugging him back.

  
  
He did look different, with the beard and the tiny ponytail. He even lost his glasses and started wearing clothes that actually fit him.

Both sisters decided unanimously that between Rhys and Vaughn, the latter was the lesser dickhead. So, while he was annoyingly nervous about practically everything in the world, always spoke too much, and agreed with Rhys on everything no matter what, they did really miss him.  
  
Once he released them, he gave Loader Bot and Rhys a quick bro-first.

 

Fiona could feel everyone else eyeing them, and immediately felt out of place.

Perhaps standing in the middle of the station with the CEO of the company and a giant Loader Bot, while looking all Pandoran and bandit-y was not the stealthiest course of action. Yet no one else but her seemed to care about the attention they were receiving.

  
  
"Aw, there we go,"- Rhys commented, slapping Vaughn on the back, -"The crew's all reunited once again."  
  
"Yeah!"- Vaughn pumped his fist in the air, looking over at Rhys, -“Wait, bro, why are you wearing a turtle-“

Vaughn stopped himself midsentence, taking a moment to think about something. He then averted his eyes, his expression something between embarrassed and disgusted.

“Uh- you know what? Never mind. I don’t wanna know anyway,”- He coughed, and Rhys just turned away, scratching at his neck.

 

_Weirdos._

 

Vaughn then took a moment to look around, moving his head from side to side, -"Wait, where's Gortys?"

  
"Oh-ho-ho, buddy, that's a- That's a long story,"- Rhys ran his hand through his hair, and turned to shrug at Fiona, who just shrugged back. _What do you want me to do!?_ -"We'll explain a bit later. First, we gotta show Fi and Sash to their new apartments."  
  
"You got them apartments!?"- Vaughn sounded surprised.

 

Was it that weird? He was basically the king of this place, so that wasn't a big deal, was it?

"Yeah, well... I, uh, might've kinda enlisted them as Hyperion employees-"  
  
"Employees!?"  
  
"You did what!?"

Fiona and Sasha exclaimed at the same time, and the sisters turned around to face each other. Fiona sneered, already feeling like turning around and heading back to Pandora.

_I knew I shouldn't have trusted that slimy, little-_

  
"N-No, wait, it's not as bad as it sounds-"  
  
"Let's go, Sash. We're leaving,"- Fiona picked up her bag and turned around, grabbing her sister's wrist, -"Coming here was one thing, but we're _not_ going to sell ourselves out to this disgusting-"  
  
"Will you let me finish, dammit!?"- Rhys yelled, attracting even more attention. People around them stopped what they were doing midway, just to turn around and stare at them. Rhys noticed this time too, waving his arms around, shooing off the audience, -"Nothing to see here, everybody! Move along! Get back to work!"

  
  
The commotion seemed to resume, but Fiona still felt like everyone was listening in, at least partially. They really should stop standing in the middle like that.

  
  
"Gee... Anyway, as I was saying..."- Rhys continued, quieter now, -"I couldn't have provided you with apartments if you weren't listed as employees. Besides, if you work here, you can actually make money to support yourselves-"  
  
"Support my ass!"- Fiona scoffed, getting up in Rhys's face, -"We were doing just fine before you showed up!"

  
  
Except that was a lie and they _really_ weren't.

  
  
They lived in Janey's garage and had to run around, stealing wallets to buy food as though they were kids again. Janey and Athena were kind enough to share with them for the moment, but... It couldn't have lasted forever.  
  
Still, even that was better than working for the most bloodthirsty corporation in the world.

  
  
"Fiona, listen! I know you don't want to do this, but it's only for the time being. If you don't want to do this anymore when this whole Vault ordeal is over, that's _fine_. Besides, it's not like you will be doing anything complicated. I signed up Sasha for the R &D weapons department, cuz I know she loves that,"- Rhys was still trying to convince them, and Fiona looked over at Sasha. She knew how much her sister hated Hyperion, but at that, her eyes began to sparkle, -"As for you, Fiona..."

 

Rhys paused dramatically then, and Fiona held her breath for a second. He got Sasha a job she would (presumably) love, so Fiona wondered what in the world could he have in store for her. 

 _"You_ will be the leader of the Vault-opening-Gortys-piece-hunting-and-rebuilding... thing... project..."- He finished up lamely, biting at his lower lip, -"Yeaaah, the name needs work, but the point is - you call the shots." 

  
  
Fiona's eyes widened then, as she realized the implications of that. She would be... _in charge_.

  
  
"Of course, the team isn't thrown together yet, but I already began working on that. I'm making sure to get the best and brightest of Hyperion together to help us figure out how to defeat the Guardian, and you'll be the boss. So whaddaya say?"

She didn't like it, but she was beginning to doubt herself. It really was a one in a lifetime opportunity... But it was Hyperion, _dammit!_

"Fi,"- Sasha suddenly placed a hand on her shoulder. _After staying silent all this time, this is when she decides to speak up..._  -"I... I actually think this could work."  
  
"What are you saying, Sash!? It's _Hyperion!_ We _hate_ Hyperion!"  
  
"I know, but... Didn't you say you were going to become a Vault Hunter?"- Sasha smiled at her in a scheming way, and she could see Vaughn and Rhys nodding fervently out of the corner of her eye, -"This could be the _perfect_ place to start, right? Plus, we'll be getting money, so that's pretty sweet."

Fiona squinted her eyes, remembering her reasonings for coming here. Sasha was right. 

  
  
Plus, admittedly, it was better than staying down on Pandora and doing nothing.

 

Isn't that what they always say? Keep your friends close but your enemies closer?

  
And what could be closer than working for your enemy?

  
"Okay, tell ya what. If this doesn't work out and you still hate Hyperion afterwards, I will pay you a compensation fee, and then we never see each other again?"- Rhys offered as a last ditch effort at convincing her, and Fiona's eyes lit up at the word 'pay'.  
  
"...And how much will that be?"  
  
"Enough to keep you settled for a couple of decades or so-"  
  
"Deal,"- Fiona shook Rhys's hands, smiling smugly. If selling their souls to the worst company in the universe was all it took to stay not hungry and off the streets, well, maybe, it was worth it.

  
  
It was only for a while, after all.

  
  
"Yes! Weapons, here I come!"- Sasha jumped up, punching Rhys in the shoulder. Fiona somehow doubted that her excitement was also part of the ruse.   
  
"Ow! Unnecessary,"- He cried, rubbing at the spot, -"Anyway, now that that's settled, I'm gonna call Yvette to show you to your apartments."  
  
"Huh? We aren't going to meet Jack?"- Sasha suddenly asked, quirking an eyebrow, and Fiona suddenly remembered why she didn't want to come here in the first place.

  
Right. That asshole was alive.

  
"Nah, unlikely,"- Vaughn laughed, waving her off, -"He barely ever comes down here, yet alone to greet any new arrivals-"

  
  
And literally just as Vaughn was saying that, Fiona's eyes traveled over to the elevator doors on the other end of the hall. They were slowly opening up, and the never ending chatter that was a part of Helios's usual background noise died down, everybody shutting up simultaneously. The world seemed to completely still then, as the doors finally opened, revealing Handsome Jack standing on the other side, his hands on his hips, his eyes slowly scanning the room.

  
Handsome Jack, in the flesh.

 

It was Fiona's first time ever seeing him in anything other than pictures or billboards, not to mention seeing him so _close_. That man was just on the other side of the room. 

  
The man that murdered thousands.

  
  
The aura he was exerting was almost suffocating, the people around him seemed bleak and gray in comparison. Fiona swallowed down, suddenly feeling overwhelmed. 

  
  
So this was the man they called God...

  
  
  
Jack stopped turning his head as soon as he spotted Rhys, and Fiona could _swear_ she saw something change. Something in his look, in his posture, or maybe his expression, but suddenly he wasn't the same person that just stared down the entire station into silence.

  
"Hey, cupcake!"- He shouted, his voice booming in the grave silence. He was waving at Rhys without a care in the world, walking over across the hall. People in his way parted to let him pass, scattering around like rats or terrified skags. He didn't even seem to notice the panic his presence caused, his eyes never leaving Rhys's face.

  
"Jack..."- Rhys smiled at him, something in his expression changing _as well_ , and Fiona couldn't help but do a double take.

 

She kept shifting her eyes between Rhys and Jack, confusion and concern written all over her face.

 

  
_What... is going on here?_

  
  
Once he was close enough, Jack stood next to Rhys, placing a hand on his shoulder, and suddenly he didn't seem to be that intimidating _at all_. Whether it was because he was shorter, or just because he was next to _Rhys_ , he suddenly seemed just like another guy off the street.

 

Fiona couldn't put her finger on it, but even the commotion around them resumed, although much quieter than before.

  
"How's it going, sweetheart?"- Jack threw his arm around Rhys's neck then, hunching him over. Was he calling _everyone_ those weird nicknames!? -"Hey, Vaughnster, wassup?"  
  
Vaughn softly bumped Jack's extended fist without hesitation, smiling at the man. _Vaughn_ , who probably jumped at the sight of his own shadow, was standing next to _Handsome fucking Jack_ without a care in the world.  
  
"Oh, wow, perfect timing, Jack,"- Vaughn laughed, lightly slapping the man on the shoulder, -"I was literally JUST saying how you never came down here!"

  
Fiona felt like her eyes were about to fall out of their sockets just then. _This_ was the man that murdered thousands?? _This_ was the King of Hyperion, the Living Legend, the Conqueror of the Vaults, the God among humans!?

  
  
He was just... Standing there, half-hugging, half-strangling Rhys under his armpit, while casually chatting up the most anxious human being in the universe like it was just another day in the office.

 

Did she miss something? Was there another Handsome Jack out there, the one all the stories of violence and destruction were actually about?? Was this a mass hypnosis or a hallucination???

 

“Hey, you giant robot, you-“- Jack awkwardly stuttered out, pointing at Loader Bot, and the latter extended his fist. After a moment’s hesitation, the man slowly bumped it, taking a step away immediately after.

  
  
Fiona turned to look at Sasha, incredulously pointing at Jack, hoping that maybe her sister had a better explanation for any of this. Instead, her sister just shrugged and shook her head with a bewildered look on her face.

  
  
Okay, they were _clearly_ missing something here.

  
  
"Oh, hey, ladies!"- Jack suddenly turned his attention to them, and they both snapped their heads to meet his eyes, -"Didn't even notice ya there! Nice to finally meet you, y'know, in person, and not through this dumdum's head."  
  
Jack used his fist to ruffle Rhys's hair, and honestly, the most surprising thing about it all was the fact that Rhys was just accepting it.

  
  
Even _enjoying_ it.

  
  
"Jack, quit it-"- He laughed awkwardly, trying to get out of the headlock. Fiona definitely could tell he wasn't really struggling, but rather just making an impression that he was.  
  
"Hat lady, looking as sexy as ever,"- Jack addressed her, making finger guns, and Fiona didn't know whether to be offended or take it as a compliment or _what_ -  
  
"Rhysie, baby, seriously- think about getting a cowboy hat, will ya-"- Jack turned to face Rhys, and Rhys pushed him away. Fiona could swear she saw him blush, but she couldn't exactly trust her own eyes anymore, now could she.

  
  
"Shut up already, Jack,"- He waved him off, turning away.

  
Fiona didn't know what to make of any of that, just blinking slowly in confusion. Sasha, on the other hand, half-assed a weird smile, giving Jack a small wave.

  
"It's, uh, a pleasure to finally meet you?"- Her voice cracked, and she sounded more like she was asking a question rather than making a statement. Fiona could relate.

 

“Oh, heeey there, hot stuff!”- Jack turned to face her, grinning widely, -“Yeah, sorry for slapping your butt there earlier, totally my fault.”

He raised Rhys’s cybernetic arm and waved it around then. Fiona and Sasha looked at each other in confusion for the millionth times already, before it finally hit them both at the same time.

 

_That time in the Atlas Facility-_

 

“Wait, that was _you!?_ ”- Sasha cried out, but Jack was already turning away from them.

“Sorry to cut this short, ladies, but I gotta borrow Mister CEO here for a _very_ important meeting in my office~”

“Wait, I gotta show them around- We don’t even have a-“- Jack clasped a hand around Rhys’s mouth, already dragging him away by the elbow.

 

Everyone stood still once again as Jack passed by, with a very disgruntled Rhys at his side.

 

“Toodles!-“- Jack waved without turning back as they disappeared behind the elevator doors, and once they were gone life seemed to resume, with twice as much vigor as before.

 

Fiona rubbed at her eyes, pinching herself on the cheek lightly just to make sure she wasn’t dreaming.

 

Handsome Jack was… Well, whatever the hell _that_ was. She was now certain they were missing a very important piece of the puzzle, and she knew _just_ the person to help fill in the story.

 

“So… What was _that_ all about?”- She asked, turning to Vaughn, who just scratched at his neck.

“Oh, trust me, you DON’T want to know.”

“Know what?”

“A-Ah, n-nothing!”- Vaughn then waved hands in front of his face, taking a small step back, -“Th-There’s nothing _to_ know! Everything’s totally fine here! Nothing weird going on! Yep, just another day at the good ol' Helios. All's good, nothing weird at all.”

 

Okay, now she just _knew_ something was off. And she was going to drag it out of him.

 

“Spit it out, Vaughn, you know you-“- Before Fiona could finish that sentence, she caught a figure approaching them out of the corner of her eye.

 

Wait, she... She knew her! It was-

 

“ _You!_ ”- Fiona exclaimed, pointing a finger at the lady that approached them. She was wearing a dark blue shirt, tucked into a pair of black pants, and professional looking high heels, a pair of glasses and those dreadlocks Fiona would never forget. She was the one that ruined _everything_ last time-

“Hello- Fiona, I presume?”- Her voice sounded much sweeter than before, but Fiona wasn’t fooled. It was _her_.

“You were the one who wanted to throw us in jail the last time!”- Sasha also recognized her, scrunching up her nose in disgust. Vaughn only raised an eyebrow, looking over at the woman in question.

“And you must be Sasha, right?”- She continued, tilting her head with a smile. _Corporate scum,_ -“It’s nice to see you both are doing well.”

“Cut the act, missy, we know who you really are,”- Fiona crossed her arms, glaring at the woman. She wasn’t going to fool them with her fake niceness, that was for sure.

 

“Yvette?”- Vaughn nudged her shoulder, and the woman sighed, crossing her own arms. She didn’t look apprehensive, but just… sad and tired.

 

“Look, I- I know things didn’t end well the last you were here,”- She started, averting her eyes and looking at the ground, -“But I _am_ sorry for trying to lock you up. I was not… At a good place at the time. I made mistakes, and I had my time to think about them. And… You’re Vaughn’s and Rhys’s friends, right? I want to make it right between us, so if you won’t mind, please- Let us start over.”

 

Fiona swallowed down, dropping her arms by her sides. Okay, well, maybe she wasn’t _as_ horrible as before, but that didn’t mean they had to forgive her… Right? Was she just pulling another act, like everyone else in this damn place, right?

 

She extended her hand to Fiona, finally rising up her eyes to look her in the face, -“My name’s Yvette. It is a pleasure to be working with you.”

Fiona looked at her hand for a second, deliberating whether to shake it or not, and then…

 _Aw, what the hell_ -

 

“Fiona. You are one scary lady when you wanna be,”- She said, grasping her hand firmly.

 

She was already in the middle of her act, so she might as well see it all the way through. 

 

“Thank you. And you can throw quite a punch.”

“Well, when you grow up on Pandora fighting for every loaf of bread, you learn how to throw punches,”- Sasha came up to them, extending her own hand, -“I’m Sasha, by the way.”

“I see,”- Yvette shook her hand as well, smiling, -“I have much to learn from the two of you. Now, if you don’t mind, let me show you into your apartments.”

“And you’re coming with me, Loader Bot,”- Vaughn told the robot, walking off into the opposite direction.

 

Yvette waved for them to follow her, and Fiona and Sasha obliged without question.

 

Well, their second first impression of Helios certainly turned out to be more pleasant than the first, even if it was much weirder.

 

Hopefully, it would stay this way.

 

• • • •

 

 

“What the hell, Jack,”- Rhys complained as they reached the office. Honestly, he had so much stuff to show Fi and Sash, so many things to discuss… Why did Jack have to be an asshole and drag him away?

 

Rhys only just turned around, and before he knew it, Jack’s mouth was on his own, his hands gently cupping his face. The kiss was weirdly slow and soft, nothing like their usually fast paced, desperate make outs, or quick pecks in between.

Jack wasn’t biting, only gently dragging his tongue across his lips, down his mouth and throat, deep yet gentle. Rhys pulled back after a minute or two, completely out of breath.

 

“Wh-Where did _that_ come from…?”

“I missed you,”- Jack whispered, showering Rhys’s face in slow, tiny kisses. Rhys felt like his heart was going to quite literally explode.

“I-I thought you only missed my ass-“

“Yeah, well, that changed. I missed your stupid face too,”- He pulled back the turtleneck, revealing the bright bruises, and gently pressed his lips to Rhys’s throat.

“What a-about the meeting?”

“We’re having it right now. You ask too many questions.”

 

Jack suddenly swept Rhys off of his feet, holding him up in the air bridal style. Rhys immediately threw his arms over the man’s neck, holding on tight to prevent himself from falling. His stomach was doing somersaults, and his hands were practically shaking.

 

Usually, Jack’s mood swings resulted in violent outbursts, but Rhys was more than okay with this. He actually kind of hoped these particular mood swings happened more often-

 

Jack sat down on the chair, placing Rhys atop his lap, gently caressing his hair with his fingers, -“This is where it all started, kiddo... This is where we made our first step into the _future.”_

Rhys had no idea what was going on, but he was reveling in every second of it. Jack was looking at him like he was the most precious thing in the world, and that made his heart swell with happiness and pure devotion to the other man. He could never leave his side, could he...

This thing they had going on… It was for a while.

 

A long while. 

 

“This is also where you kissed me for the first time,”- Jack smiled, tracing his thumb over Rhys’s lips. There was something distant in his expression, something… Something so inherently sad, Rhys felt it resonate somewhere deep within himself, -“Where would I be without you, Rhysie…”

Rhys just held onto Jack's shoulders tighter, furrowing his eyebrows in concern, -“What’s wrong, Jack?”

 

Jack stayed quiet for a while, silently tracing over Rhys’s features with his thumb, his eyes travelling down his face. He was staring right at him, yet he seemed to be so very far away. Rhys wanted to know what suddenly brought this on.

 

“Well, I… I was reading up on some old files, and…”- Jack sighed, throwing his head back against the chair and looking at a far wall, -“Had a trip down memory lane, so to speak.”

 

Rhys didn’t interrupt, letting him continue speaking. He suddenly remembered how Jack talked about his daughter the first time they were in his office. In these rare moments where Jack wanted to share with him, he could only listen and be there for him.

 

“Hehe, I lost… I lost a helluva lot of things in my life,”- He laughed, completely devoid of amusement, -“My first wife was… Well, you know. And my second wife friggin’ left me. One of my girlfriends betrayed me, and another one was killed by bandits…”

 

Jack sighed heavily, and stayed silent for a while. His grip on Rhys’s hip tightened, and Rhys felt something heavy weigh down his stomach.

 

He didn’t… know any of that.

 

There were plenty of rumors, sure, and being the fanboy that he was, Rhys knew that Jack had a wife, at least at one point, but… Well, Jack wasn’t a very open person. He never allowed the media to delve into his private life any further than just about the surface.

Hell, Rhys only found out that he had a daughter for the first time in his office. He wondered where she was now, but didn’t feel like it was the right time to ask.

And the fact that he was married twice… really reminded Rhys of their age difference. Rhys wasn't exactly a kid himself, but... Just how old was Jack, anyway? And… what, exactly, happened to his first wife?

 

They were silent for a moment, Jack lost in his own thoughts, and Rhys just looking over his features.

 

In that moment, he was just a tired, broken man.

 

He was the most human Rhys has ever seen him before, and he took this moment to soak it all in. Seeing Jack’s vulnerabilities… It was a privilege unlike any other.

 

This man really went through a shitload, didn’t he?

 

“Jack,”- Rhys softly called out his name, gently cupping his face and turning it back. He didn’t really know what else to say, so he just continued staring into his eyes, his beautiful blue and green reflecting the surface of Elpis. They were really glowing.

 

Rhys thought he would be crying right now if he could, but his tears probably dried up a long time ago. All that was left was… Just the pain. As cliché as that may have sounded, as uncharacteristic as it may have been of Jack to look at him like that – it was all slowly starting to make sense in Rhys’s mind.

 

He pressed a soft kiss to the man’s lips, and then another one, and then again and again, until he was slowly kissing Jack’s jawline, his cheekbones, his eyelids, his brows, his forehead. Rhys didn’t stop kissing Jack’s face until Jack was smiling again, pushing him away.

 

“Quit it, kid, you’re embarrassing,”- He chuckled, tapping Rhys on the forehead.

“ _Me?_ Embarrassing _Handsome Jack?_ I have truly reached all my life’s ambitions.”

“You’re a smug little shit, aren’t ya,”- Jack pinched his cheeks, a little painfully, but he seemed to be in a better mood already. Rhys pushed his chest, trying to get him to stop, flailing his legs about and laughing.

 

Jack then leaned in, and unexpectedly pressed a quick kiss to Rhys’s nose - and Rhys, after a moment of stunned silence, giggled like a high schooler, pressing his forehead together with Jack’s. The man was laughing as well – rather, perhaps, even giggling, just like Rhys, getting his hands lost in Rhys’s hair, bumping their noses together.

Rhys felt like his stomach was filled with bubbles and sunshine and butterflies and every other stupid cliché thing being in love usually makes you feel, because _dammit_ , at that moment, they were _happy_ , and they were  _together_ , and Jack was the _cutest_ person he’s ever known and-

 

“Yep. Okay. Officially _traumatized_ ,”- They suddenly heard a voice from the other end of the room, both sharply snapping their heads to see a distraught looking Vaughn.

Yvette was standing next to him, looking way more amused than she should have been. She had a hand pressed to her mouth as though in shock, but Rhys could tell she was most definitely smiling.

“We’re, uh- Sorry, to, uh, interrupt,”- She mumbled, turning her head away, poorly masking her laugh behind a cough. Vaughn was still staring at them, looking as though he basically just walked in on his parents having sex.

 

It was silent for a moment, as Rhys tried to process what just happened. He had a slow but steady blush creeping up his face, yet couldn’t find the strength in him to move off of Jack’s lap or even let go off of his neck. 

 

 _This is it,_ he thought, his life practically flashing before his eyes, _This is the moment they will remember forever. This is the one thing they will never let me live down._

Having been caught having sex would've been way less embarrassing than being caught doing... whatever it was they were doing.

 

 _Giggling like a pair of lovestruck idiots, that's what,_ \- Rhys thought to himself, slowly exhaling. 

 

Jack, finally regaining his composure, leaned back in his chair, placing both his hands on the side handles. He looked down at Rhys’s friends, smirking smugly, -“Yeah? Whaddaya want?”

 

Rhys suddenly became uncomfortably aware he looked pretty much like a trophy wife sitting on her husband’s lap while he took care of work, so he slowly let go off of Jack’s neck, throwing his legs back on the ground. Before he could stand up, Jack threw a hand around his hips, grounding him in place.

 

“We- Just- Uh,”- Vaughn was making _very_  long pauses between words, his brain still trying to comprehend what he just witnessed, and Yvette was too busy trying not to laugh to say anything. Rhys realized this was the _worst_ day of his entire life, -“Rhys! Yeah. Rhys- We- Uh- Tried to call- Wouldn’t pick up- _Trauma_.”

His voice cracked on that last word, and Rhys swallowed back tears. It could've been worse, right...?

 

... _Right?_

 

“Um, Jack,”- He began, trying to give this situation some kind of normalcy, -“This is um, my friend, Yvette. I don’t, uh, think you’ve met before.”

Yvette only bowed her head in recognition, still not saying a word or removing the hand from her mouth.

“Nice to meet ya, cupcake,”- Jack nodded at her, that shit-eating grin never leaving his face. Rhys could tell he was enjoying this _way_ more than he should’ve been, -“Is there a reason why you’re barging in on this _very_ important meeting?”

Yep, Rhys was going to kill him later.

 

He heard Yvette laugh harder, and Vaughn’s face distort even more, if that was even humanly possible.

 

“We, uh, we heard about this Vault thing-“- Yvette finally managed to say, wiping tears from her eyes, -“Fiona said to go to you for the details.”

 

Jack suddenly wasn’t smiling anymore. He straightened his back, his grip on Rhys’s hip becoming almost painful. His full attention was directed towards Yvette’s words now, and the cute Jack that was there only a few moments ago was gone. _Great._

 

“What’s this about a Vault?”

 

“Fiona said that we should ask Rhys about Gortys-“- Vaughn joined in, locking eyes with his best friend, -“-Oh for the love of- Rhys, can you _please_ stand up!?”

 

Rhys immediately shot up from Jack’s lap, completely disregarding the man’s grip. _That_  would definitely leave bruises, -“Yes- Definitely- Absolutely- Don’t know why I did not do that sooner-“

 

Jack turned his head, squinting at Rhys, as Yvette and Vaughn made their way over to the guest chairs in front of Jack’s desk, -“You didn’t mention anything to me, kid.”

 

“Well, you didn’t exactly give me the chance to, with the whole-“- Rhys turned to look at his friends then, deciding that finishing that sentence was probably a bad idea, -“You know. Ahem.”

 

Rhys straightened his back, adjusting his turtleneck, and took a few steps forward, before turning back to face the group, who were all attentively looking at him.

 

“Alright, so here’s how it goes...”

 

 

• • • •

 

 

“And _please_ lock the door next time,”- Vaughn begged, before stepping back into the elevator.

“He-Hey, could be worse,”- Rhys smiled at him, receiving a horrified stare in return, before the elevator closed and Vaughn and Yvette were gone.

 

Rhys made his way back into the office through the museum, closing the doors behind him. He locked them up, _just in case_.

 

“Is that the sound of a door lock I hear?”- Jack raised his eyebrows at him, smirking. He was rolling back and forth in his chair, leaning his cheek on his fist.

“We were _just_ talking about the Vault. Concentrate,”- Rhys only replied, walking over and taking a seat in one of the guest chairs.

“You can come back now, you know. They left,”- Jack patted his lap, smiling more. Rhys only stared him down, -“Alright, _fine,_ have it your way. But _ugh_ , opening this one will be a pain in the ass.”

 

Rhys couldn’t disagree there. They knew practically nothing about the Vault or the Guardian, didn’t have the supplies necessary for an operation of a very large scale, and, most importantly, didn’t have a plan. But Jack seemed to at least approve of his idea of creating a team, so that was a step in the right direction.

 

“And appointing that bandit to be the leader – really, kid?”- Jack rolled his chair back, spinning in it like a little kid. Rhys soon realized this helped him think things through.

“Fiona isn’t a bandit. And really, she and Sasha are the best bet we’ve got. They were the closest to the Guardian and the Vault the first time,”- Rhys half-lied down on the desk, resting his head on top of his arms, -“Plus, we _need_ Fiona to activate Gortys again. I needed to convince her to stay.”

Jack smiled, stopping his chair, and leaned on the desk, mirroring Rhys, -“I like the way you’re thinking, kid. Let’s exploit _all_ your friends.”

“Th-That’s not what I meant and you know it,”- Rhys sneered, but... He was secretly turning over his own wording in his head.

It really did sound… like he was just using them. But they had a mutual cause, so it was all for the greater good, right?

 

Jack moved closer, their elbows bumping into each other. He lazily blinked down at Rhys, smiling even more.

 

It seemed he was almost always smiling around Rhys.

 

“Well, that’s a problem for another day, anyway. You remember about that party in a few days?”

...Nope.

In fact, Rhys _completely_ forgot about the party. That was just another unnecessary bureaucratic corporate nuisance standing in between them and the Vault, but… He could admit he was kind of looking forward to it. The only business parties he and Vaughn ever attended were the ones were they either served drinks to everyone like waiters or were held in a dirty pub somewhere in the more unpleasant part of the galaxy.

 

But now, all those assholes who used to boss him around were throwing a party in _his_ honor. That was _not_ something he was going to miss.

 

“I need a suit,”- Rhys only commented, standing up and stretching out.

“Then we’ll go get you one soon,”- Jack also leaned back, and Rhys could feel him watching, -“God, I love it when you stretch. I could see everything I’ve done to you.”

Rhys suddenly realized the hem of his sweater was now above his navel, and he pulled it down, feeling a light pink blush tint his cheeks. Jack waved him over, and Rhys, after a moment’s hesitation, came around the desk, standing in between Jack’s legs.

 

“Let’s do something fun, shall we?”- He smirked, grabbing Rhys’s ass and pulling him closer, -“Don’t even _try_ to convince me you weren’t fantasizing about me in my office.”

 

Rhys swallowed hard, wondering where the hell did this come from. Well, he _did_ lock the door, but-

 

“C’mon, I know you just _love_ jacking off to me, sweetheart,”- Jack purred, grabbing his hands and bringing them closer to his lips, -“Tell me _all_ about what you like to imagine me do.”

Jack traced his tongue along his knuckles, and Rhys’s throat was suddenly too dry to speak or even react.

 

Was this always going to happen with Jack? Would he always find his heart beating too fast, his hands shaking too much whenever the man did something like that to him?

 

He sure hoped so.

 

Rhys was certain he lost all sense of shame quite a while ago, so without a second thought, he dropped to his knees in front of Jack, making the other man’s eyes go wide.

 

“Woah there, Rhysie… Didn’t know that’s how ya rolled…”- Jack chuckled, placing Rhys’s hands on top of his thighs.

 

Rhys didn’t reply, too embarrassed to say anything. He only moved his hands to undo Jack’s belt buckle, feeling his face burning up hotter every second. He would never, _ever_ admit it- hell, he could barely even admit it to himself- but this was always a fantasy of his. In this exact office, in this exact position, with this exact man looking at him _exactly_ like that…

 

God, it was too much already.

 

Jack undid the button and the zipper himself, taking out his cock, then losing his hand in Rhys’s hair, leaning on his hand with his cheek, -“Have fun, kiddo.”

 

“If you continue being an ass, I swear to god I will bite,”- Rhys mumbled, swallowing down. He still marveled every time at the sheer size of Jack. Could he- Could he even take it all in!?

 

“Feisty,”- Jack laughed, brushing back lose strands of hair from Rhys’s face.

 

 _Okay, okay, you can do this,_ Rhys mentally prepared himself, ghosting over the head, _Just giving a blow job to Handsome Jack, No big deal, right?_

 

He nervously grabbed at the base, licking his dry lips, before slowly ghosting over the warm skin, feeling Jack’s fingers in his hair tighten. He continued, pressing wet kisses along the length. It was fascinating, in a weird way, to feel Jack harden in his hand. He took the tip into his mouth then, pressing his tongue to the slit, licking up, and felt Jack shiver, groaning loudly.

 

He leaned back in his chair, throwing his head back, his nails digging into the leather of the handle, -“Fuck, _there_ we go- Good boy-“

 

The encouragement sent sparks down Rhys’s spine, had him take in more, lean in further. He already figured out he couldn’t take Jack all in, but he was willing to go as far as it took to make the other man squirm under him... Or, well, above him. 

Rhys opened his mouth wider, forcefully taking in as much of Jack’s cock as he could before he felt like choking, then leaned away, a trail of saliva following his mouth. Jack moaned loudly at that, the grip on his hair becoming painful. Jack forced Rhys’s head down once again, holding him in place as he rolled his hips. Rhys felt his cock hit the back of his throat, tears welling up in his eyes, as he coughed and sputtered, but _fuck it_ , Jack was moaning loudly above him, and Rhys could see him falling apart.

 

It was worth the pain and the inability to breathe, if only he could only hear Jack make those noises again.

 

Jack turned Rhys’s head to the right, holding him in place and he continued to fuck his mouth senseless, Rhys taking it in, making a fist with one hand, and squeezing own throat with the other to prevent himself from gagging. His knees were shaking, he kept feeling like he was going to throw up, and the tears never stopped streaming from his face, but Jack was shutting his eyes tight now, his movements becoming more spastic, more desperate.

 

He came into Rhys’s mouth, cum spilling out as Rhys held it open, choking and sputtering, desperate to breathe again. He kept swallowing despite the bitterness until Jack no longer tore at his hair, until Jack was slumped over, exhausted, slowly pulling his cock out of his mouth. Rhys kept his mouth open, breathing heavily through it, not caring much for the fact that he looked like a breathless dog.

His eyes were swollen, his throat burned, and he was certain he wouldn’t be able to speak for days, if not weeks, but then Jack used his thumb to wipe at a stain on his lips, and it was all worth it once again.

 

Jack was still panting hard, his eyes still unfocused, but he looked at Rhys with love and affection Rhys never thought he was capable off.

 

He kept smearing the stain across Rhys’s face with his fingers, cupping his face, using the back of his other hand to wipe down the sweat from his forehead.

 

“I love you,”- Jack suddenly said then, placing his thumb inside Rhys’s mouth. Rhys’s breath hitched, his knees finally giving in, and he sat down, suddenly exhausted. Jack zipped up his pants, not bothering with the button or the belt buckle, then pulled Rhys up into his lap, pushing his hair back and wiping at his mouth with his sleeve, -“I love you, Rhys. You hear that?”

 

Rhys only nodded weakly, leaning down to press a small kiss on the corner of Jack’s mouth.

 

Sure, their first “I love you’s” weren’t said the way he planned it, And sure, one was rushed and a complete accident, and the other messy and dirty and less than romantic – but that’s the way their relationship worked.

 

Their “I love you” were theirs in the end.

 

And they were just perfect the way they were.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> me: *takes the most unhealthy, most toxic ship out there*  
> me: *makes it into the fluffiest, most adorable relationship ever*  
> me: (•_•)  
> me: ( •_•)>⌐■-■  
> me: (⌐■_■) 
> 
>  
> 
> _deal with it_
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> so did i mention how much i love writing this
> 
> because im enjoying every moment 
> 
> p.s: i swear, if anyone draws fanart of giggling Rhys and Jack, I will personally put up a memorial in their honor. it is literally my most favorite scene i ever wrote out ʕ•ᴥ•ʔ


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> friendly reminder that i have a tumblr @ [saipng.tumblr.com](http://saipng.tumblr.com/)
> 
> feel free to drop me a message, im always up for discussing borderlands n filth ( ° ͜ʖ °)  
> (psst if u followed me because of this fic, tell me n i'll most definitely follow back) 
> 
> _anyway_  
>  enough of this shameless self-promo, back to the fic ~

The first thing he felt when he woke up was a throbbing pain in his throat.

Everything else came back flooding later.

 

The memories of yesterday, the embarrassment, the pleasure…

 

Rhys didn’t remember falling asleep at all, but now it was somehow the next day and he was undressed and in his bed.

He sat up, rubbing at his eye, looking around the room.

 

It was dark and quiet, a single stream of light coming out from the bathroom door, illuminating the entire room. Rhys swallowed down, pain coursing throughout his body. His throat was on fire, and he felt like ripping it out would be way less painful than having to endure _this_.

He fell back down on the bed, sighing heavily. It was a little difficult to breathe through his mouth, and he was only hoping that it would pass in a couple of days. He wasn’t exactly proud of what he did, no, but it’s not like he regretted it either.

 

Rhys jumped a little when he heard the sound of the toilet flush, followed by the sound of the faucet turning on and off. Jack emerged from the bathroom seconds later, wearing nothing but his black boxers.

 

“Oh, good, you’re awake,”- He smiled at Rhys, who just stared back at him, mouth agape, -“We have a big day in front of us, kiddo, ya better start getting ready.”

 

It took Rhys a moment to collect his thoughts, still drowsy from sleep and soreness in his throat. _Jack was…_

 

“What… are you doing here?”- He asked, voice hoarser than he thought it would be. He sounded strangled, tone just above a whisper, and it hurt _like hell_ when he spoke.

“Woah, cupcake, I really did a number on ya yesterday, didn’t I?”- Jack laughed, not sounding sorry in the least, -“Well, you could say you kinda passed out on me back at the office, so I carried you back to bed in my arms like the cute little princess that you are.”

“W-Wait, you _carried me!?”_ \- Rhys tried to raise his voice, and ended up only hurting himself more while sounding like a dying animal, -“Did anyone see you? Did my _neighbors_ see you?”

“Dunno.”

“Oh god…”

 

Rhys furrowed his eyebrows, massaging at the base of his throat. Jack was being _way_ too casual about this.

 

If anyone saw Jack carrying him ‘like a princess’, all the way to his apartment, and then never leaving… _God_. The guys monitoring the cameras around Helios must have a lot of fun watching them.

 

Rhys was basically screwed over, wasn’t he…

 

Then again, Jack was considerate enough to actually carry him all the way back home... He even undressed Rhys, and tucked him into bed. That was... a pleasant thought.

Realizing how much Jack cared always made Rhys's stomach flutter with joy. 

 

Jack was leaning against the table, watching Rhys with half-lidded eyes. He was just quietly observing his every move, and Rhys soon grew uncomfortable under the stare. He fiddled with the blanket, bringing it up closer to his chest, covering up.

 

This was unsettling.

 

“...I love you.”

 

“H-Hu…?”

 

Rhys swallowed down despite the pain, blinking in confusion, as Jack moved over to the bed, sitting down on the edge. They were close, but not quite touching.

Jack took another moment to stare at him, thinking about things Rhys couldn’t quite understand.

 

“I love you,”- He repeated again, bringing a hand to cup Rhys’s face, tracing his fingers over the fading bruises on his throat.

 

Rhys felt a blush creeping up his neck, sudden heat warming up his insides. _Where’s this coming from?_

 

“I-I heard you yesterday,”- Rhys averted his eyes, whispering. He gave up on speaking – it hurt too much and he didn’t have the strength for it anyway.

“Just making sure,”- Jack responded, giving Rhys a quick kiss on the mouth, -“You fell asleep so quickly, I didn’t know if you heard me.”

“I… I did.”

 

“...Are you scared?”

 

Rhys snapped his eyes back to meet Jack’s, something in the man’s tone of voice unnerving him. Jack was smirking as per usual, but something in it didn’t quite reach his eyes. Rhys only quirked an eyebrow, shaking his head.

“What do you mean…?”

 

“Forget it-”- Jack tried to stand up, ultimately stopped by Rhys’s hand around his wrist. Rhys didn’t say anything else, just kept looking at Jack until he sighed heavily, sitting back down, -“Ugh… I heard it a couple of times, okay?”

 

“Just… People, telling me that they’re “scared” of being loved by me or whatever,”- Jack rolled his eyes, still not turning to face Rhys, -“Stupid, right? I don’t want you to turn out to be an idiot like them.”

 

Rhys looked at Jack’s silhouette against the background of his room, illuminated only by the thin bathroom light and the faded glow of space from his window. Then, without a moment’s hesitation, he placed his chin on the man’s shoulder, hugging him from behind. Rhys inhaled his musk, hint of his cologne mixed with sleep and sweat and Rhys’s own bed sheets.

 

He smelled so much like _Jack-_ so much like _home_ , Rhys had to tighten his grip around the man’s waist.

 

“Well, I’m _not_ an idiot,”- Rhys mumbled against Jack’s skin, warm and rough, -“And... I love you too.”

 

He felt Jack stiffen under his touch. He then turned his head a little to face Rhys, bumping his side against his forehead, and they sat like that for a while, without saying a word.

 

“Look at you, kiddo, making me into a gross mushy mess,”- Jack said then, his usual vigor coming back to him, -“Now go wash your face. You still got bits and pieces of my-“

“Ooookay-!”- Rhys croaked out, pushing the man away. Did he really still have…?

 

 _Ugh_.

 

“I’m just sayin’- it’s pretty friggin’ gross.”

 

“Oh, like _you’re_ the one to speak about gross,”- Rhys retorted, standing up and walking over to his closet, -“These are the same boxers I saw last time, aren’t they. How long have you been wearing the same clothes!?”

“Uh… What day is it?”

“ _Ugh, Jack_. Why are you such a mess of a human being.”

 

Jack only laughed, giving Rhys a slap on the back as the latter pulled out a T-shirt from his closet. It was a very, _very_ old Hyperion intern T-shirt he got back when he was in his first year of college. It was around twice, if not thrice his size, but it was the only one left in stock, and he’d be _damned_ if he didn’t have a Hyperion T-shirt on him – even if it wasn’t exactly official merchandise and he bought it off of a secondhand store online. Of course, when the shirt arrived, it hung around his shoulders like a parachute. Rhys wore it to sleep, occasionally.

 

He never wore it since he actually joined Hyperion as an employee, but kept it around for memories. Thankfully, it seemed to suit Jack just right.

 

“At least change your shirt once in a while,”- Rhys sighed, handing him the T-shirt. Jack looked over the white cloth with the light blue Hyperion logo on the chest, the word INTERN spelled out in large blue letters underneath it.

“Ha! Intern shirt – on the president!”- He laughed, pulling it over his head, -“Classic!”

Rhys smiled at Jack’s childishness. He also marveled at the fact that the T-shirt was even a tad too big for the man himself. What was he thinking, ordering it in that size…

 

“I’d offer you pants as well, but…”

“Eh, don’t worry about it, cupcake. Mine’s only got a few stains, they’re good for another couple of days.”

 

Rhys cringed, realizing that he would probably have to start storing Jack-sized clothes at his place or in the office. The man had _horrible_ hygiene.

 

Just then, Jack suddenly pulled Rhys closer to his chest, cupping his ass with his hands and slamming him against the wall. Rhys yelped, the sound getting caught somewhere in his sore throat.

 

“Now, kitten…”- He lips brushed against Rhys’s ear, making him shiver, -“Whaddaya say you an’ me grab a quick shower before heading out, hmm?”

“U-Um, a-alright- You go first, and I-“

Jack slowly shook his head, giving Rhys’s earlobe a gentle bite, -“We don’t have time for that, babydoll.”

“Th-There’s hardly any room for one person in there, yet along two people...”- Rhys swallowed hard, his throat burning up again.

 

He wouldn’t get a day’s rest, would he…

 

“Then we’ll just have to squeeze,”- Jack laughed, already dragging Rhys towards the bathroom. 

 

 

• • • •

 

 

Fiona just couldn’t figure it out.

 

It was right in front of her, right on the tip of her tongue, but she just _couldn’t_ see it.

 

It was something about the way Jack walked next to Rhys, something about the way they talked about the stores that they passed and the clothes that they saw. Something about the way Rhys pushed Jack away, laughing when the other suggested he wore a bright purple suit to the party; something about Jack’s voice when he called Rhys over to the fitting room to help him with the zipper on his vest.

 

Fiona just couldn’t figure out what it was – but somehow, when those two were around each other, it was like the whole world changed.

 

When Rhys was alone, he acted all high and mighty, giving orders and scrunching up his nose whenever anyone treated him like anything other than a president. He was basically his usual stupid self, only with more power - and, therefore, more annoying.

But whenever Jack was around, he turned into nothing more than a bellboy, running around Jack and following the man’s every whim and demand (albeit, sometimes begrudgingly). Fiona tried to blame it on him being a fanboy, but, well… Fans usually revered their idols. Rhys, on the other hand, seemed to have no problem pushing Jack around and telling him to shut up whenever needed.

 

And Jack, on the other hand… When Rhys wasn’t by his side, he was a _god._

 

There was no other way of describing it.

 

He would walk into a room as a god would walk into the mortal realm, looking down at everyone as though they were mere ants needed to be crushed. Everyone knew it, and everyone feared it. Fiona hated to admit it, but it made even her uncomfortable. She hated how the man was so full of himself, and hated how everyone (including herself) let him get away with it.

 

As soon as his eyes landed on Rhys, however, it’s like the god wasn’t there anymore.

 

He turned into… Well, nothing more than a huge child. Jack was softer when with Rhys, his entire atmosphere changed, and he was almost immediately unnoticeable in a room full of people who, just a second ago, admired him as a divine entity.

 

It was fascinating, in a weird way, to see the man completely drop his demeanor and pull over to Rhys as though by magnets. He looked like a duckling following his mother whenever Rhys was around, and that never ceased to amuse (yet also terrify) Fiona.

 

Even now, as the man walked in front of her in the Hyperion intern T-shirt that was obviously way too big for his size, he was laughing and punching Rhys in the shoulder, looking like a ten year old rather than the president of a major corporation.

 

Those were just a few things Fiona noticed.

 

Another thing was that the two of them completely lived in their own world.

 

There were five of them in total, all walking together down the halls of this weird station filled with shops and bright signs and bars and places Fiona couldn’t even name… And was that just a giant ice lake in the middle of the room!?

(“Seriously, what is up with that?”- Sasha said when they first arrived, -“Not a single bullet or weapon store? What the hell _is_ this place?”)

 

And despite the place being filled with hundreds, maybe thousands of people, Rhys and Jack seemed to be completely secluded from everyone and everything. They paid attention only to each other, talked and whispered and joked and laughed as if no one was there, and were just c _ompletely and utterly annoying_.

 

It pissed Fiona off – and _no_ , not because she wanted to be a ‘part of their little club’, as Sasha teased. She was just desperately trying to figure out just what _the hell_ was going on, because there was _no way_ nothing was going on.

 

She was just trying to understand whether this was the aftereffect of Jack being trapped in Rhys’s head for so long, or whatever the hell else.

 

Vaughn briefly explained to them what happened after they returned to Hyperion, that Jack was first a hologram, and then somehow got himself a body. Honestly, neither Fiona nor Sasha really understood or cared about any of that, but they let the guy speak. He seemed to be weirdly relieved to be able to talk to someone about everything that happened.

 

He, of course, avoided all of Fiona’s questions, but then again, she didn’t really push him. She was way too tired and the apartments they got were _amazing_.

 

Rhys had the audacity to apologize for the apartments being too ‘crummy’, and Fiona wanted to punch him in the face. She had her own bed, kitchen, closet, table, _and bathroom_. An entire freaking bathroom – how _awesome_ was that!?

She honestly thought Rhys was making fun of her when he said that…

 

...Wait, did that mean there were apartments _better_ than that!?

 

Sure, it was a little small, but it _was_ anything she could ever ask for. She and Sasha even got _two_ different apartment, side by side.

 

So, her first night on Helios wasn’t as terrible as she was hoping it would be. The bed felt like feathers, and she hasn’t slept that well in her entire life.  Sasha had to basically break in to wake her up the next morning. They met up with Rhys then, who was wearing a scarf _(really…?)_ and talked as though he was strangled by a bandit the night before.

 

Apparently, he caught a ‘cold’.

Fiona didn’t like the way Vaughn looked at him when he said that.

 

During breakfast – the best one they had in their lives too, cafeteria food was the _greatest_ – Rhys told them about the party at the end of the week and that they all had to come. He said this would be when he introduced the Gortys Project and its head, Fiona. Fiona appreciated that he settled on that name, for Gortys’s sake.

 

Apparently, in the corporate world, ‘party’ didn’t mean getting drunk and fighting each other to the death in a cheap bar across the street (although Jack argued about ‘fighting to the death’ part). They had to actually dress up classy, and, well, neither Fiona nor Sasha had anything classy – and neither did Rhys.

Jack offered to take them all shopping, saying he’d pay for everything, and Fiona was morally conflicted because anyone who offered to pay for you couldn’t possibly be a bad person. Then again, Jack had so much money, he probably used it as padding in his shoes.

 

Vaughn and Yvette politely declined, saying they already had stuff to wear, so in the end, it was the five of them – Fiona, Sasha, Rhys, Jack, and this secretary girl called Tara Rhys insisted on bringing along.

 

She was quietly walking behind them, reading something on her Echocom and making notes. She seemed pleasant enough, always smiling and nodding and being all ‘yes, sir’ and ‘no, sir’.

 

Fiona didn’t trust her.

 

_Nobody does that._

 

“-And who the _hell_ puts zippers on vests, huh?”- Jack was talking to Rhys loudly, looking for more shops to enter. Fiona noticed he liked to wave his hands around a lot.

“You’re only complaining because it wouldn’t zip up,”- Rhys chuckled, smirking up at Jack. Fiona also noticed he was always looking at Jack, no matter where they were or what they were doing, -"Maybe you should start eating less." 

“I’m _complaining_ because it fucking sucked. But really, Rhysie, did you think about getting yourself a dress? A dress would really suit you well, hmm?”

“Not a chance.”

“But, cupcake-!“-Jack suddenly interrupted himself, exclaiming and throwing his arm around Rhys’s neck, -“Hey, this looks fancy!”

 

He was pointing at a sparkly looking store, its name written in cursive so flowy, Fiona couldn’t read it. It was all silver and gold and glitter and the clothes were hanging off of racks instead of being stacked one on top of the other (which, she soon learned, was the first sign of a _very_ expensive place). It was all white inside, from the ceiling and the walls to the couch and the carpet. Fiona has never seen this much white and beige in her entire life.

 

Jack was already dragging Rhys in, and all that was left to do for everyone else was to follow.

 

Fiona _also_ noticed Jack would throw his hands around Rhys every chance he got.

 

… She was probably overthinking it at this point.

 

“Woah-hoh,”- Sasha marveled, giving a little whistle at the giant ceiling lamp, -“Now _this_ is what I call classy!”

 

Fiona couldn’t help but agree – the air practically smelled of money and power. A Pandoran probably never set foot in a place like that.

 

“Welcome! Please, come in! How may I help you?”- A pleasant sounding gentleman walked over in their direction, speaking directly to Jack and Rhys. He probably figured out that out of all of them, they looked the most… presentable.

“Yeah, so listen, gramps,”- Jack started, pointing at the man who was clearly no older than his 50s, -“We need party clothes. And I mean _good_ party clothes. Don’t give me the usual low-quality overpriced shiz you sell to the big-headed corporate jackasses at Dahl or something.”

 

The man didn’t seem to be phased in the least by Jack’s wording. He was probably used to dealing with people like him.

 

“Of course not, sire. Please, follow me,”- He directed them to a clothing rack full of suits and other stuff, as a young girl emerged from the backroom of the store, -“Marilynn, darling, would you take care of the ladies for me?”

 

The girl nodded, turning her full attention to Fiona, Sasha, and Tara, -“This way, please.”

 

Fiona and Sasha simply looked at each other, their minds blown. No one has _ever_ treated them this nicely down on Pandora – even some of the best people they knew weren’t this sweet. And sure, it might have all been fake, but _dammit_ , it felt good.

 

“Now, tell me what you are looking for,”- The girl asked, looking directly at Tara, who simply smiled and shook her head.

“Oh, no, not me. I’m here only to consult these two ladies over here,”- She pointed at Fiona and Sasha, who both gave Marilynn a small wave.

“Ah, right. Forgive me. You’re not from… around here, are you?”- She asked, sounding gentle, yet Fiona could still hear a note of distaste in her tone.

 

Well, whatever.

 

They were the buyers here, they had the upper hand.

 

“Yeah, but we’ve got this huge party coming up, and I wanna a dress!”- Sasha blabbered on, practically shaking with excitement. Fiona nodded at that, sharing the enthusiasm.

“And I wanna a suit,”- She said, tipping her hat… Did they sell hats?

 

The girl nodded, going over the clothes on the rack. After a moment she pulled out a bright orange dress, passing it over to Sasha to try on, -“How about this?”

Sasha nodded enthusiastically, her eyes sparkling over, fingers treading lightly in the cloth. Fiona would’ve never guessed her sister was the type to wear dresses.

 

Oh well, live and learn.

 

“We keep the women’s suits in the back. Now, if you could just wait here…”- Marilynn told Fiona, turning around to walk into the backroom, before stopping, and turning back around to face them, -“Would you, perhaps, like anything to drink while you try on the clothes? We have all kinds of juices, champagne-“

“Champagne!”- Sasha practically yelled, pumping her fist in the air. The girl nodded, disappearing behind the counter.

“Sasha!”- Fiona gave her sister a little punch on the shoulder, whispering in a harsh tone, -“They’ll probably charge us extra for that!”

“So what? Jack’s payin’,”- Sasha smiled, and retreated into one of the dressing rooms on the side of the shop. Fiona just sighed.

 

Well, she was right about one thing…

 

Tara was silently looking over the dresses on the rack, not looking especially eager to talk, so Fiona turned to look at Jack and Rhys. Jack was sitting on one of the couches, Rhys emerging from one of the dressing rooms in front of it. He was wearing a simple black suit with a black tie and a light blue, almost white vest around his waist. He opened his arms, smiling awkwardly, awaiting Jack’s judgment.

 

Fiona thought he looked like an ass.

 

“Well? How do I look?”- He croaked out, coughing a little, looking expectantly at Jack, who was suspiciously quiet this entire time. Fiona turned to look at him, but he was just sitting there, his mouth wide open, staring at Rhys.

In the next moment, however, Jack was up on his feet, dragging Rhys back into the dressing room, while muttering something about his tie being done all wrong and his vest being buttoned in the wrong places and how Rhys couldn’t do _anything_ right without him.

 

Fiona’s eyes twitched as Jack threw the curtain closed, feeling sick to her stomach.

 

_Wait- No-_

 

_No way-_

 

_It CAN’T be-_

 

But before she could follow that train of thought through, Marilynn was back, throwing a suit over her shoulder, and dragging her over to the dressing room by the elbow. Fiona remained stunned, just staring over at the dressing room Jack and Rhys retreated into, pointing at it while trying to make a comprehensive sentence.

“I- You- They- Wha-“- Was Fiona’s way of asking Marilynn if she saw whatever the hell just happened as well, but the girl simply shoved her into the dressing room saying something about trying the suit on, jerking the curtain closed.

 

Fiona just kept looking at her own reflection in the mirror, her eyes wide and her mouth open in surprise. She blinked a couple of times to snap out of it, taking a look at the suit in her hands. What she just saw…

 

She could _swear_ it was just all coming together, as though that missing piece of the puzzle has _just_ been put in place. And now, she lost it again.

 

She had still no clue what was going on - just a weird, icky feeling in her stomach.

 

Fiona decided to ignore it, if only for now.

 

The suit, upon closer inspection, looked pretty nice. It was a simple black suit, with fitted pants and a jacket. The collar of the jacket was white, with a golden chain instead of a button. There was also a simple white shirt with black buttons. Fiona felt the material in her fingers, thinking that this was what clouds must feel like.

She put it on, looking over herself in the mirror.

 

 _Amazing_.

 

She looked _a-ma-zing_.

 

This is what a million dollar look was.

 

And she loved every _second_ of it.

 

Maybe coming over to work for Hyperion wasn’t such a bad idea. Maybe this is why millions upon millions sold their bodies and souls for that corporation every day.

 

And maybe the hat didn’t fit her outfit, but she looked good even without it, so _fuck it_ , she’ll take off the hat.

 

“Hey, Sash, look at this!”- She called out to her sister, throwing open the curtain.

 

Sasha turned her head, looking over Fiona and taking a long sip of her champagne. Fiona, in turn, took a moment to scrutinize Sasha's own outfit, and...

 

And she looked _stunning_.

 

The dress looked as though it was made specifically for her, fitting every curve of her body. It reached down to her knee, and it had glitter on top of it, around the waist, and around the hem on the bottom. Fiona noted she was suddenly wearing golden heels as well. The dress had a single strap reaching over her left shoulder and then transforming into a beautiful flowing cape in the back.

 

Fiona smiled at her sister, thinking she was the most beautiful person on the planet.

 

“Looking snazzy, Fi,”- She said, taking another sip, -“Like a million bucks.”

“Not too bad yourself, sis,”- Fiona replied, shoving her on the shoulder lightly, -“How’s the champagne?”

“Amazing. The _best_. This is my second glass - you _gotta_ try it.”

 

Fiona took a glass herself, tasting the bittersweet bubbly liquid. Sasha wasn’t kidding - it was _way_ better than beer. She was never a lightweight, but the bubbles made her tipsy on the second sip.

 

The sisters then turned to face Tara, who tilted her head to look at them in appreciation.

 

“Is this okay for a party?”- Fiona asked her, honestly hoping that they’ll pass with these outfits. She was too tired to try on anything else, and these ones looked the best.

 

This was their seventh shop, for fuck’s sake.

 

“Perfect. You both will fit right in,”- Tara nodded, and both girls exhaled in relief.

 

Fiona then turned to look at Rhys and Jack, who were both quietly talking about something outside the dressing rooms, Rhys back in his regular clothes, tying the scarf around his neck with more vigor than ever.

 

“Hey, loverbirds, you done?”- Fiona rolled her eyes, calling out to them, and she could swear Rhys’s face flush bright red before he turned away to face the wall.

 

“You saw that, right?”- She asked Sasha quietly, still looking at Rhys.

“Saw what?”- Sasha asked right back, downing the second glass of champagne and reaching for the third.

“He was blushing, right? I swear he was blushing.”

“Fi, please. Of _course_ he was blushing – it’s Rhys. He probably blushes when he pees.”

“Okay, first of all – gross. Second – don’t you think you’ve had enough to drink?”

 

Sasha couldn’t answer that, as Jack and Rhys were both walking over to them already. Jack took a moment to judge them both with a stern look, before finally smiling and giving a thumbs up.

“Looking good ladies – I see you ordered champagne,”- For a moment there Fiona thought that he would be angry, but he just took a glass himself, giving it a taste, -“Not my favorite brand, but I like your enthusiasm. It’s a party in here!”

 

Jack threw an arm around Rhys once again, throwing his fist up in the air, and Sasha promptly joined him, -“Woo! Party!”

 

They high-fived each other, with Sasha falling back and nearly stumbling over in her heels, laughing together with Jack. Fiona, _once again_ , felt like she missed something important. For her little sister to be getting along with the man they both hated most was… well, something.

 

Maybe she was just too drunk.

 

The next few moments were a blur, as they all were laughing and talking, and Fiona was taking a sip of her champagne, closing her eyes, thinking that everything was going to be just fine after all.

 

 

 

And then she heard the unmistakable sound of a gunshot echo throughout the store.

 

 

 

Everything was as though in slow motion.

 

 

The piercing scream of Marilynn, the sharp sound of a champagne glass breaking on the counter as the bullet pierced through it.

Another shot, and she saw Jack pushing Rhys aside and out of the way, Fiona watching in shock as he lunged forward, tackling Sasha to the ground. The bullet pierced the curtain of the dressing room, and the next thing Fiona could feel was Rhys tugging her wrist, in the opposite direction of her sister, bringing her over to the couch and down on her knees, covering behind it.

 

She didn’t realize she was screaming Sasha’s name until everything started moving at regular speed again, and bullets were flying around like a bunch of disturbed bees in their nest.

 

She slowly blinked her eyes, feeling surreal as she heard screaming and crying mixed together with gunshots and rupturing over the usual sounds of the pleasant store music.

 

Rhys was sitting next to her hunched over, intensely looking at the place where the other couch blocked off the view of Sasha and Jack.

 

“Sasha…”- Fiona whispered, her heart in her throat, worried sick for her sister’s safety. She remembered Jack lunging forward…

 

Did he make it in time? Was she okay!?

 

After another moment of blazing fire, the gunshots stopped, and it was all quiet then. Fiona could only hear her and Rhys’s breathing in the thick silence that followed.

 

“Let’s go,”- Rhys looked over to Fiona, waving for her to follow him, and she did so without question. They crawled on their arms and knees, moving around the counter where the shopkeepers sat quietly in fear. They appeared to be unharmed, which was already something.

Fiona could see the other side from behind the counter, Sasha lying there on the floor against the couch.

 

She was bleeding, and Fiona couldn’t remember the last time she ran this fast because of anything.

 

“Fiona, wait!”- Rhys yelled out to her, as she ran over to her sister’s side, not caring for the bullets or anything else in the world at that point because _Sasha is bleeding I have to get to her I have to-_

 

She made it to the couch, placing Sasha’s head on her knees, trying to shake her awake with unsteady. The blood was only coming from her nose and she was definitely breathing, slowly coming to.

 

“F-Fi, stop that…”- She mumbled, swatting Fiona’s hands away. Rhys, meanwhile, made his way over to the sisters, grabbing a hold of Sasha’s hand.

“Are you alright!?”- He whispered urgently, looking her over for any injuries.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Just a nosebleed…"- She told them, looking somewhere at the ceiling. After another moment, her eyes widened, and she whispered quietly in realization, -"...Jack saved my life.”

“Where is he!?”- Rhys cried out, frantically looking around, and before anyone could answer, they suddenly heard a voice echo throughout the store.

 

“HANDSOME JACK,”-The booming voice yelled, echoing across the store, -“WE’RE HERE TO SEND YOU BACK TO HELL, WHERE YOU BELONG.”

 

“SHOW YOURSELF, COWARD,”- A second voice joined it, just as demanding as the first.

 

Fiona heard more gunfire, more things breaking and people screaming, but she was holding her sister in her hands, and she was _alive_ , and that was all that mattered in the moment.

 

“Why, ladies, you only had to ask nicely,”- She heard Jack’s voice from somewhere behind them, and she saw Rhys climb on top of the couch and watch over it, his nails digging into the leather.

 

She probably should’ve said something, should’ve stopped him or told him it was dangerous, but she remembered how desperate she was to check on Sasha, to see if she was okay. Her words wouldn’t have stopped him anyway.

 

The only thing that followed next was more bullets, and more screaming, and… laughter.

 

 

A chilling fit of maniacal laughter that would follow Fiona for the rest of her life.

 

 

And then, it was quiet once more.  

 

 

• • • •

 

 

Rhys’s heart was beating in his throat, his knees were shaking, and his fist was so tightly clenched, his knuckles whitened over - but he couldn’t stop watching.

 

When the shots rang out, he could feel his heart drop.

 

It was Pandora all over again then, a battle for survival. And Jack was in the middle of it.

 

Rhys didn’t register the moment Jack and Sasha were suddenly gone, didn’t catch the moment first shot became second and so one and so forth until they were under hellfire. He could only grab Fiona’s wrist, who looked just as stunned as he felt, and bring her over to safety.

 

Jack was the only thing on his mind.

 

He couldn’t lose him – not again, not _ever_.

 

Did those peace groups finally cash in on their promises to rid the world of Jack? Was it Vault Hunters? Someone from Hyperion? Assassins?

 

Rhys’s hands shook as he waved Fiona over, crawling behind the counter and over to the other side of the store… Only to see Sasha lying there, motionless, covered in blood.

 

Fiona darted forward, and Rhys, after a moment’s hesitation, ran after. The bullets did stop then, after all.

 

And after making sure Sasha was okay, Rhys’s mind was all Jack again.

 

_Where did he go!?_

 

He was supposed to be with Sasha, right? Was he already-?

 

_No- No, he couldn’t be._

 

A familiar voice confirmed that Jack was alive, and Rhys couldn’t stop himself if he wanted to.

 

He was climbing over the couch, his head only obstructed from bullets by a rack full of clothes. He could see two huge looking bandits, red bandanas over their mouths and dark sunglasses on their eyes, one with a machine gun and one with two shotguns, frantically looking over to find the source of the voice.

 

Jack emerged from behind them, a couple of small guns in his hands, a smile on his face so bright he looked like it was Christmas morning.

 

He cocked the hammers on both guns, making a distinct clicking noise in the otherwise silent room.

 

“Let’s party.”

 

And with that, Jack was raining bullets on the two huge thugs, shooting them directly into their heads while simultaneously avoiding their attacks. He was moving swiftly between the clothing racks, laughing loudly as blood sputtered out of the bandits and onto the floor. He used clothes as shields, throwing them into the bandits’ faces to blind them for a while as he continued to run around and shoot.

He only stopped to hide behind the couch on the other side of the room and reload.

 

“THAT’S IT, JACK. YOU’RE DEAD MEAT-“- The guy with the machine gun cried, only to be silenced by a bullet directly to his forehead the next moment.

 

He fell over with a loud thud, staining the white carpet around him crimson.

 

Rhys could only hear Jack laugh harder as the other bandit roared, shooting more.

He was hiding behind the couch while the bandit went rampaging around the store, shooting into every dressing room and clothing rack he could see. Rhys had to duck his head just then - it was a little too probable to get shot.

 

He locked eyes with Jack, who was looking at him with a wide grin, blood sputtered across his face, his hair, his neck and his shirt. Rhys had to swallow down despite the pain in his throat, because just then…

 

Jack never looked more like Jack.

 

His eyes were glossed over with blind euphoria, his pupils diluted and unfocused, and Rhys knew he was enjoying _every second_ of this.

 

 

Because Jack loved killing.

 

And Jack loved Rhys.

 

Suddenly, his previous questions made sense.

 

_“Are you scared?”_

Yeah- Yeah, Rhys was scared.

 

But not of Jack.

 

He was scared  _for_ Jack - his life, his safety, his health. Rhys was scared of ever leaving Jack's side.

 

Scared of losing Jack. 

 

The bullet fire stopped then, and all that was left was the hollow clicking of empty guns and the roaring cry of the bandit. Jack immediately jumped out of his hiding, walking over to the man with a triumphant smile.

 

Rhys watched intently as Jack pressed a gun to the bandit’s chest, blinking at him slowly.

 

“Aw, what, out of bullets?”- He laughed, cocking back the hammer.

 

_Jack, no…_

 

“Tough luck, buddy.”

 

_Jack… He’s hollow… He won’t do any more harm… You don’t have to-_

A shot rang throughout the store, sprays of blood staining Jack’s previously white shirt, turning it red.

 

The bandit, stumbling over, fell down on his back, as Jack kept on laughing. After a moment, however, he stopped, just looking over the bodies with a smile. 

 

He inhaled deeply, his expression darkening then, and it was silent as he just stood there and... stared.

 

Rhys was about to call out to him, ask him if he was okay, but then Jack raised his gun - and shot the dead body in the head once more.

 

“You stupid- little- fucking- _asshole_ -“- A bullet marked Jack’s every word, as he kept shooting more and more into the unmoving corpses, his eyes glazed over with rage, his body practically shaking, -“How- fucking- dare you- try- to- fucking- KILL ME-“

 

Rhys immediately knew he was losing it – he saw that expression before, heard that tone of voice, felt that blind rage. He suddenly remembered the first time he saw Jack kill, the dead bodies of the shareholders lying on the white carpet of the Helios meeting room.

 

 

Back then, Rhys was terrified, angry, confused.

 

 

Now, he was just worried _sick_.

 

 

He jumped over the couch, pushing aside the clothing rack, running over to Jack.

 

Who the hell even cared if people saw them – Jack was in pain and he _needed_  Rhys.

 

Gently touching him on the shoulder, Rhys made sure Jack was aware of his presence at that moment. Jack’s breath hitched, but he stopped shooting nevertheless, lowering his gun. His eyes never left the corpses.

 

Rhys slowly hugged him from behind, gently nuzzling into Jack’s shoulder.

 

Sometimes, it paid off, being taller than him.

 

He smelled of gunmetal and loads and _loads_ of blood and Rhys’s bed sheets and shampoo, and Rhys wanted this moment to just – pass already. It was painful, watching Jack lose his sanity like that.

 

Rhys knew he wouldn’t be able to ‘fix’ him or anything, but… If he could make Jack feel just a little better by being there for him, well, that was what he was going to do.

 

They stood there for a moment, Jack's body stiff and warm against Rhys's chest, just slowly breathing together until it was all okay again.

 

“We’re going,”- Jack suddenly said, turning around and pushing Rhys off. He did take a moment to cup Rhys’s face in his hand, lingering far longer than necessary, before walking over to the counter and slapping a card on the bullet-filled wooden top.

 

Nobody seemed to come out of hiding yet, which was good, considering Jack and Rhys just stood there, hugging for a good two and a half minutes.

 

“We’re taking the clothes the ladies are wearing. Mail the check, and everything else to Handsome goddamn Jack before the end of the week, got it?”- He turned around and went for the exit, not waiting for a reply. Rhys saw Sasha and Fiona stand up from behind the couch.

 

Sasha seemed alright, if a little bloody.

 

“Rhys! I’m so glad you’re okay!”- A voice called from the side, and Rhys jumped a little, turning around only to see Tara, looking teary eyed and scared.

 

_Shit. Tara._

 

Rhys was embarrassed to admit it, but… Well, he kind of completely forgot about her.

 

 _Fuck_ , he was feeling guilty… But at least she seemed to be okay and unharmed. Where was she hiding, anyway..?

 

“I’m glad you’re alright too,”- He placed a hand on her shoulder, and she flinched back, a weird expression on her face.

 

 _Shit_. She must still be traumatized.

 

This was probably her first time under gunfire – she was a Hyperion employee, after all. He shouldn’t be so brash.

 

“Sorry-“- He began, but was immediately interrupted by Jack calling them all over. He was already quite a while away.

 

Once they were all out of the store, Jack stopped to wait for them to catch up. He was looking better now, way less furious, but still unsettled.

 

“Are you okay?”- He asked Sasha once she approached, and she only gave a stunned nod. Jack nodded back, continuing, -“We’re never coming to this shithole ever again.”

 

Rhys chewed his lip, wondering whether he should ask the next question. It was quiet in the mall now that all the people probably scattered around because of the commotion. Rhys could see blood on the floor below them.

 

“Do you think they were… Vault Hunters?”- Rhys finally asked, silently praying Jack wouldn’t be furious again.

“Ha! Vault hunters!”- He laughed in response, voice devoid of amusement, -“Haha, no- No, no, no, no ,no,  kid! If _they_ were Vault Hunters, then _I’m_ the queen of Pandora!”

 

Rhys refrained from imagining Jack in a queen’s gown. This was hardly the time.

 

“But really, they were probably some third rate assassins sent by one of those peace groups-“

“Peace groups?”- Fiona interrupted, raising an eyebrow.

“Yeah, whatever. They’re all dead, as far as I know. I’m gonna start bombing those fucking camps one by-“

“Woah, there, big guy!”- Rhys stopped him in his track. No need to put off Fiona and Sasha again, _just_ as they were starting to warm up to him, -“We’ll discuss that in a meeting.”

 

“Sure, whatever. Let’s get going.”

 

Rhys exhaled, happy to be able to save the moment. This whole commotion was making him incredibly tired.

 

“But- My hat-“- Fiona suddenly called out, pointing back in the direction of the store.

 

“Let’s go already, sweetie,”- Jack didn’t even turn around, just threw his arm around Rhys and ventured forth, -“We’ll get you twenty new hats once we’re back.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> everyone knows that every good borderlands fic must have _at least_ one assassination attempt on Handsome Jack. sorry, i dont make the rules
> 
> also! also!
> 
> here are the outifts for the kids: 
> 
>  
> 
> [Rhys](http://www.stylishwife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Dashing-Examples-of-Men-In-Suits-3.jpg)  
> [Fiona](http://trends4ever.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/classic-black-pants-suit-ideas-for-party-2.jpg)  
> [Sasha](http://image.dhgate.com/albu_442596398_00-1.0x0/orange-cocktail-dress-one-shoulder-beaded.jpg)


	19. Chapter 19

"Can you believe it? I can't believe it!"- Sasha was pacing around the room, rambling on and on, -" _Can_ you believe it!?"

  
  
"I can't believe it!"- Fiona was just as engaged in this conversation, sitting on her sister's bed and staring off into the distance.

It was well into the night, and yet they were still discussing the events of the day for the umpteenth time.

  
  
"Handsome Jack saved my _life_... Imagine telling THAT to someone down on Pandora!"- Sasha continued, sitting down besides Fiona with a loud thump, -"I mean, what's next!? Rakk Hives adopted as pets? It will rain champagne over Hollow Point!?"  
  
"You really liked champagne, didn't you-?"  
  
"Yes, but that's not the damn point!"

  
  
They sat in silence for a moment, Fiona looking over the new hat Jack sent her a little while ago. It was the same fashion as her usual hat, only creamy beige with a blue ribbon. It was... actually pretty nice.

Fiona sighed, throwing the hat on the table across the room.  Not understand Jack was pissing her off.

  
But he _did_ save Sasha's life, that much was clear.

  
Sasha confirmed so herself.

  
She heard the bullet fly, quite literally, by her ear, and the next moment she knew she was on the floor, with Jack telling her to be quiet and remain there. He ran off shortly after, and Sasha, having hit her nose on the floor while falling, just did as she was told.

Fiona stood up, making her way over to the door.

 

He saved her sister's life.

 

It was fucking _terrible_.

 

"Where are you going?"- Sasha called after her, as Fiona threw the door open.

There was only one place she could go to at this moment.

"I'm going to figure things out."

 

• • • •

 

"You're wearing a dress to the next party,"- Jack laughed kissing the back of his neck, snuggling closer to Rhys, -"And there's nothing you can do about it."  
  
"But what if I outshine you? I'll totally be the center of attention, y'know,"- Rhys retorted, tracing circles on Jack's arm with his thumb,

“I wouldn’t mind that if I got to stare at your legs all evening- _Fuck_ -“ - Jack shifted then, and Rhys heard an audible thump behind him. He must’ve hit his head on the wall again, -“Seriously, cupcake when are ya getting a bigger place? This bed is too small – my bruises are getting bruises.”

"I know, I know. It’s taking a while cuz there’s so much stuff going on…”- Rhys momentarily contemplated looking at new apartments the next morning, but then realized something –“...Wait, why are you here _again!?_ "

 

  
Jack just kinda wandered over to his room after they came back, and they kinda stayed like that for the next couple of hours, talking about everything and nothing. Rhys didn't even realize it until now – it was all sort of a blur. He just desperately wanted to make sure Jack wasn’t angry anymore.

 

  
"Oh, Rhysie, your place is just so much closer than mine-"  
  
"So this is just because you're lazy??"- Rhys propped himself up on his elbows, staring down at Jack, who just pulled him down to his face, kissing his lips.  
  
"Yes, and because I love you, yada yada."  
  
"Jerk."

Rhys pushed him away, standing up and walking over to the bathroom. He couldn't remember when the hell did he practically move in with Jack, but he wasn’t exactly complaining. They fell into a familiar pattern, and it was easy to live with him. Despite what everyone might have thought or said, Jack was like a giant teddy bear... Maybe a little more murderous, but, surprisingly enough, Rhys had no trouble ignoring that side of Jack.

 

...That was probably  _really_ screwed.

 

"Aw, cupcake, come baaaack,"- Jack whined from the bed.  
  
"Not before you actually change those filthy boxers."  
  
"I can wear yours-"  
  
" _Not a chance_."

  
Before either one of them could say another word, Rhys heard a loud, demanding knock on his door.

 

His heart immediately stopped in his chest, his brain running over the possibilities.

 

Vaughn? Yvette? Tara? One of his disgruntled neighbors?

Oh god, were they being too loud-!?

 

The knock came again, and Rhys, acting on impulse, quickly opened the door an inch, only to reveal a pissed off looking Fiona on the other side.

 

_Shit._

 

Rhys threw it closed the next moment, just as she was opening her mouth, looking around the dark room in panic.

 

Well _of course_ it's her- he should've guessed by the knocks. If it was anyone Hyperion they'd use the doorbell, like normal people-  


The situation with Stacey flashed before his eyes, only this time Jack was actually _in his friggin' room_ , and all their clothes were on the floor, and all his body was in hickeys- _Oh, God, did she see-_

  
  
"Hey, asshole! Open up!"- Fiona yelled, banging on the door again. At least he properly closed the door this time.

Jack peeked out from the bed, quirking an eyebrow.

  
  
"W-Wait, I'm half-naked!"- Rhys yelled back, as much as his sore throat permitted. 

 

He quickly dragged Jack out of bed, who begrudgingly followed, and locked him in the bathroom, then quickly threw on a shirt and sweatpants and, of course, a scarf. Rhys curled up all their clothes in one big ball, throwing it into the closet.

 

This was oddly reminiscent of the time he hid his first boyfriend in the closet from his mom. He didn’t know which occasion was more embarrassing.

 

Looking over the room, Rhys then contemplated whether he should just leave the posters up, but he probably wouldn't survive that humiliation from Fiona. He managed to tear down at least half the posters he had around, before Fiona came banging on the door again.

  
  
He threw them into the closet as well, closing the doors before all the junk could overflow, deciding that at the very least the ones above his bed were completely gone and he looked much less of a creep.

  
Rhys turned the lights on, opening the door then, _way_ more out of breath than necessary, -"Hey! You, uh, caught me by surprise-"  
  
Fiona pushed past him, walking in. Rhys only sighed as she scrutinized his room. _I_ _s all this suspicion really necessary...?_

 _  
_  
  
"Woah, Vaughn wasn't kidding. You're really obsessed with him,"- Fiona muttered, pointing at the far wall with a few posters left.  
  
_You have no idea..._ Rhys thought, quickly glancing at the closet.  
  
"And why are you still in your scarf?"  
  
"I have a cold, remember?"  
  
"Yeah, but- Ugh, whatever. I don't care."

  
  
She fell down on the bed, and Rhys was suddenly curious where was all of this coming from. This was way uncharacteristic.

 

"What's up?"- He asked, sitting across from her on the chair at the table.  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"Well, it's not like you visit me every Tuesday, so..."

 

Fiona sighed again, looking at the ceiling. They remained quiet for a while, Rhys nervously wondering if Jack would _please_ remain quiet for a while and just stay in his place. He had a habit of making himself known to people no matter the circumstances.

 

"Jack saved Sasha's life,"- She suddenly said. Rhys only furrowed his eyebrows, looking at Fiona in question.

 

 

So, that was that then.

 

He knew something happened, but Jack wasn't exactly quick to boast and brag about saving Sasha's life. He only said he was a hero today... Rhys wondered why he didn't talk about it more, but shoved that thought aside for the moment. 

  
  
"You surprised?"- He questioned, because, honestly, he didn't know if that was _that_ surprising. Jack saved their asses plenty of times already (albeit unknowingly to the girls- but still). Was this time that different?  
  
"He _saved_ her _life_ , Rhys!"- Fiona cried, sitting up, -"Handsome Jack! _Save!_ "  
  
"Yeah, I know. Not the first time he would've done something like that, but yeah, okay."  
  
"He... Wasn't supposed to. I don't know."

  
  
Fiona flopped down on the bed again. She sounded conflicted.

 

Rhys sighed then, moving over to the bed and sitting down beside her, -“He saved us many times on Pandora before, Fi. It really isn’t that big of a deal.”

“It is to me and Sasha! We didn’t know he was there on Pandora- Why didn’t you tell us about him, Rhys!?”

“Well, with the way you reacted when you found out, I think my decision was sort of justifiable-“

“What the hell did you expect!? We were after the Gortys piece, and then suddenly you’re the president and Jack is alive again!? Of course we were mad!”

 

Rhys didn’t want this to turn into one of their usual arguments, yet here they were again, yelling at each other and bickering back and forth. Why did it always came down to this between the two of them…

 

“Look, I already said I’m sorry, okay. I know that I made the wrong choice back then, but-“- A loud thump in the bathroom made both of them turn their heads, and Rhys’s heart sank to his feet.

 

_Shit- Jack-_

 

“What was-?”- Fiona began, but Rhys quickly interrupted her, waving his hands around.

“Nothing! Something probably just fell over, don’t worry about it!”- Fiona didn’t look convinced, but Rhys just continued on talking, -“Anyway, as I was saying. I was wrong to not tell you about Jack from the beginning. But even if I could go back in time and change my decision, well… I wouldn’t. Because without it, none of us would be here right now.”

 

Fiona just stared off into the distance for a moment, contemplating his words.

 

“I... guess you’re right. It’s just difficult to come to terms with the fact that the person you learned to hate from day one suddenly saves the life of the person dearest to you.”

Rhys smiled, patting her on the back, -“Hey, we’ve all been there, right?”

“Doubt _that_. I hate to say it but Jack… doesn't really seem to be the horrible evil villain mastermind that only wants death and destruction.”

“Well, I wouldn’t exactly cross out the “death and destruction” off of that list…”- Rhys laughed, and Jack made another small noise in the bathroom. He was eavesdropping, wasn’t he, the bastard. At least Fiona didn’t seem to notice this time, -“But Jack isn’t evil. People rarely are. He is…”

 

Rhys stopped himself in his tracks just then, wondering what he was about to say. A good person..?

 

 

No, Jack wasn’t that.

 

 

He never was good. What good person could possibly enjoying killing people and destroying lives so much?

 

But Jack wasn’t a villain either. He never wanted things to turn out the way they did, he just… He was betrayed. He said so himself.

 

Rhys didn’t know exactly what Jack was, but he was always trying his best to do the thing he thought was right. He didn’t always have the best methods, and he did bring a lot of pain and suffering to people around him, but… He never did it because of evil reasons.

 

Jack wasn’t a good person.

 

He was so much more than that.

 

“He’s what?”- Fiona asked, getting impatient with the silence.

Rhys took a deep breath, and averted his eyes, looking at the floor.

 

“A hero.”

 

They both remained quiet for a moment.

 

Can a good hero be a bad person?

 

Rhys didn’t know the answer to that. But Jack said so himself – ‘a hero doesn’t have to be nice’. They weren't living in a fairy tale - in real life, sacrifices must be made along the way. 

 

And sure, most of the people would probably disagree with him on the spot, make him take back his words, accuse Jack of being a villain, but… Fiona didn’t say a word.

 

Probably because she now knew Jack.

 

It was so much harder to accuse people of being evil once you got to know them, once they helped you out, once you’ve been close to them and heard their reasons and their side of the story.

 

Sure, Jack may not have been everyone’s hero, but he was always a hero to Rhys.

 

And maybe that was enough.

 

Fiona sighed heavily then, standing up, -“Tomorrow’s my first day on the job, huh?”

 

Rhys was taken aback by the sudden change of topic, but he welcomed it nonetheless.

 

“Yeah... You’ll just be introduced to Hyperion and your duties. The official team will only come together after the party.”

“Will I get paid?”

“Uh, no. Not yet-”

“But I will get paid eventually, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Cool. Awesome. Okay. See you tomorrow then.”

She turned to leave, stopping in the doorway, -“And Rhys? Let's make sure to bring back Gortys, okay?”

 

She closed the door after herself with a loud thud, and Rhys had to take a moment, remaining on the bed for a while.

 

Jack was already out of the bathroom, walking over to Rhys and placing a soft kiss on his lips.

 

He slowly untied his scarf, throwing it off on the floor, taking Rhys’s flesh hand in his own and slowly kissing his knuckles.

 

“Jack…?”- He whispered, a shiver running up his spine, and Jack was suddenly leaning above him, softly kissing down his throat.

“And here I was afraid you were going to say you regretted ruling Hyperion with me…”- Jack chuckled, lips moving against Rhys’s collarbone, -“I’m your hero, baby.”

 

Rhys breathed in sharply, biting down on his lower lip. Maybe it should’ve been a little more embarrassing that Jack heard all of that, but, well… Rhys was glad he did.

Jack deserved to know that he had at least somebody on his side.

 

“Hey, Jack… How did it feel?”- Rhys suddenly asked, and Jack stopped kissing, to both their greater disappointment.

“What was that, dollface?”

“Killing someone for the first time in your new body – was it as exciting as ever?”- Rhys didn’t know why he was asking these questions. Maybe because he wanted to understand Jack better.

 

Instead, he was just even more confused, as Jack laughed loudly against his chest.

 

“Oh, baby, do you _really_ think this was the first time I killed anyone?”

“I mean- In your new body-“

“I know what you mean, sweetcheeks,”- Jack patted him on the head, smiling lovingly. Rhys only furrowed his eyebrows more.

“But- I’ve never seen you…”

“Yeah, maybe it _was_ the first time I killed anyone in front of _you_. I try not to do that, but. Y’know. Desperate times and all that.”

 

“You try… Not to do that?”- Rhys squinted at Jack, who suddenly averted his eyes and sat right up, turning away from Rhys. Rhys was now certain that if Jack’s mask allowed him to blush, he would be red in his cheeks.

 

“Yeah… I kind of… Well, I kind of know that this whole killing thing makes you, uh, “uncomfortable” or whatever,”- Jack rolled his eyes, making air quotes with his fingers, -“Especially after the whole drama you pulled on me  _last time._ So I, well, y’know. I try not to do it in front of you.”

 

Rhys could only sit in stunned silence, processing what Jack had just told him.

 

Sure, he cried at many things before, and not all of them were exactly something one would usually cry about. But this was, without a doubt, the weirdest statement that has ever made Rhys’s heart throb like that, and his eyes sting, on the verge of tears.

 

He was, no kidding, touched to _tears_ by a person not killing other people in front of him – it was _Jack,_ goddammit, and that was as good as marriage proposal in Rhys’s book. Maybe even better.

 

...Did he kill people in front of his wives?

 

Rhys couldn’t care less at the moment, because he was now throwing his arms around Jack’s neck, bringing them down on the bed together, kissing Jack on the lips. He felt the man’s tongue enter his mouth, leaned in closer, tilting his head for a better angle. Rhys’s hands traveled across Jack’s chest, holding tight onto the man’s sides, deeply breathing in his scent.

 

If Jack was willing to go to such length for him… Rhys really _was_ turning him into a better person, wasn’t he?

 

“You’re adorable,”- Rhys giggled, realizing that perhaps this was not exactly the most appropriate word to use in this context. _Oh well_.

 

He practically had no moral standings left at all and whatsoever.

 

Jack took a moment to look at Rhys with bewildered eyes, obviously not expecting that comment. He then brought Rhys closer to himself, cupping his ass, lightly biting down on his earlobe, -“You say that again, cupcake, and I’m ripping your throat out.”

 

One day, Rhys might have seen it as a threat. Hell, Jack even said it in his 'threatening' voice. But if the pressure poking at Rhys’s side was anything to go by, Jack was actually enjoying this very, _very_ much.

 

“The _cutest_ -“- Rhys began, but he was already on his back, with Jack looming above him.

 

“That’s it, I’m going to wreck you~”

 

“Wait, wait, wait,”- Rhys only laughed, pushing Jack away as he kissed and nibbled on his chest, -“I got one more question for you-“

“Just _why_ are you so talkative…”

“Where did you get those guns from?”

“…Huh?”

 

Rhys pointed at the guns lying on the floor, the same ones Jack used earlier to kill the bandits. Jack only quirked an eyebrow.

 

“I didn’t see them before. Where _the hell_ did you get them from?”

 

“Heh, well, pumpkin’, a wise man always carries a gun on his persona at all times.”

 

Rhys looked Jack up and down then, smirking at his naked body, save for the boxers, -“Oh really? Then what about now?”

 

“Trust me, babe, right now I’ve got the _biggest_ gun on my persona,”- Jack leaned over, whispering into Rhys’s ear, -“And lemme tell ya, it’s _loaded_.”

 

“ _Ugh, pervert,_ ”- Rhys laughed again, hooking his legs around the other man’s back as Jack continued kissing his neck.

 

 

• • • •

 

 

Fiona was actually kind of excited for her first day as a Hyperion employee.

 

She never had a real job, except for the rare occasions working as a bartender or a waitress for random scams they pulled back on Pandora. Although, in a way, this wasn't much different. She was always a full time con artist.

 

Sasha seemed to share her enthusiasm, as they met up in the morning for a quick breakfast together. They didn’t see neither Rhys nor Vaughn or anyone else they knew around, so they were feeling a bit lost among the giant halls of Helios until a pair of stuck-up looking dudes caught their attention. Apparently, Rhys sent them over to give them the introduction, and they were their guides.

 

One of the men took Sasha away towards the R&D department (Fiona still had no clue what the R or D stood for), and the other offered to show Fiona around.

 

He was a tall, ginger man by the name of ‘Chad’, which Fiona found hilarious, because Chad was a really dumb name. She was sure he was going to be as snobbish as the rest of Hyperion, especially judging by that fancy accent, but he was actually surprisingly pleasant. He never made any assumptions about her, and seemed genuinely interested in the Pandoran life.

 

Hell, he even bought her coffee and discussed the newest trends in fashion so she could get herself something more Hyperion-esque.

 

So yeah, Chad was cool.

Everything else on this damn station wasn’t.

 

Fiona almost let herself believe she wasn’t going to struggle.

 

But in just under two hours, she got lost on the way to the bathroom three separate times, accidentally broke the water dispenser in one of the offices, and apparently insulted a very important dude whose name she already forgot. As she later found out, telling someone they’re as graceful as ‘a skag in a ballroom’ isn’t considered playful banter on Helios, but just plain rude.

 

In her defense, the guy looked just like Tector in a suit, so she got a little too comfortable around him.

 

She also managed to get caught up in the middle of a gunfight – except, it wasn’t exactly real. Chad later referred to it as a ‘finger gunfight’. He jumped right into action, without a second’s hesitation, leaving Fiona behind. She was 'killed' within the next moment, but she vowed to get revenge on all those suckers.

 

They had nothing on a Pandoran – _nothing_.

 

Fiona did, accidentally, elbow the guy who ‘shot’ her in the jaw, mostly because she still hadn’t realized at that point that they weren’t in a real fight.

 

Chad was being polite throughout the whole thing, but Fiona did suspect he was secretly rolling his eyes behind her back. 

 

“So you _can’t_ put your feet up on the table?”- She asked Chad as they walked through the endless maze that was Helios, -“Then what the hell are those movies all about?”

“Yeah, no. It’s unprofessional. Don’t do that,”- Chad shook his head. He then came up to a large door, and opened it to reveal a large blue-yellow room filled with couches and plants and coffee machines and a TV and a fridge in the corner. There were _way_ too many people in there, and everyone turned to eye Fiona right as she stepped in.

 

“This is the employees lounge,”- Chad explained, before turning to face the people and calling out loudly, -“Hey everyone! This is Fiona, new employee. She's from Pandora!”

 

That was when everyone _lost their shit_.

 

People immediately started whispering, turning their heads to look at each and then back at Fiona. Some stood up and walked over to her to shake her hand, some sneered at her in what she could only describe as disgust.

 

Helios was weird.

 

“It is _so_ nice to meet you!”- A girl cried out shaking her hand with way more vigor than necessary, -“We are _so_ going to be best friends!”

Fiona only took a step back, suddenly uncomfortable with the attention. She didn’t particularly mind being in the spotlight, except that these people were looking at her like an exhibit rather than a person.

 

She was beginning to feel awkward.

 

“So, what are your qualifications?”- The girl who was shaking her hand asked, and Fiona only blinked in confusion.

 

_Qualifications..?_

 

“Erhm-“

“You know, like, where did you work before and which college you went to?”

Rhys’s face suddenly flashed before Fiona’s eyes, and she swallowed down, trying her best not to seem nervous. He warned her that this would happen.

” _Lesson number one – never tell anyone you’re a con artist. Ever.”_

 

What the hell else could she tell these people? She never went to a school, let alone ‘college’, and she never worked a day in her life. Everyone was looking at her expectantly, and Chad was nudging her in the side to hurry up with the answer. This was too stressful.

 

“I- uh, I was a Vault Hunter,”- She blurted out the first thing that came to mind – immediately regretting that decision.

 

The room became deadly quiet, everyone’s eyes simultaneously growing in size. Everyone’s heads were turned to stare at Fiona. One guy at the far end of the room was pouring coffee into his cup, which was now overflowing put of his hand and onto the floor.

 

_Shit. Wrong answer._

 

“Uh…”- Chad began, coughing uncomfortably. He looked between the people, and then suddenly began chuckling slowly, before breaking out into a full fit of laughter. The bubbly girl joined him then, and the rest of the employees did too.

 

The room was soon full of hysterically laughing people, some of them on the floor with tears in their eyes.

 

Fiona gave out a meek laugh herself, not having a single clue what was going on.

 

“Vault Hunter! That’s classic!”- Chad blabbered through laughs, slapping her on the back, -“Oh, that Pandoran humor. For a second I thought you were serious!”

“Yeah, ha ha! That’s just how us, Pandorans, joke! Fun stuff!”- Fiona decided not to argue with him. After all, Rhys’s second rule was…

 

“ _Lesson number two – don’t attract too much attention. Don’t make people question you being here. We don’t want rumors.”_

 

Thankfully, no one paid much attention to Fiona after that. The rest of the tour went through without another incident, and she safely returned to her apartment after it was over.  _Back to safety._

 

She was talking to Vaughn, Rhys, Yvette, and Sasha through the newly provided Echocom, and found out the hell that was group chat. Texting was difficult, but texting multiple people _at once_ was even worse.

 

The beeping noise was going to drive her insane.

 

“How the bell do you turn off the sound on this thing”- She messaged Rhys directly, immediately noticing the typo she didn’t remember making.

“Tell”

“Well”

“HELL”

 

Everything on this station was designed to torment her, she decided. She could practically hear Rhys laughing at the other end of the screen. _Asshole_.

 

“lol”- Was the message she received in return. The Hyperions were using it so often, she began to wonder whether it actually supposed to mean something, -“the little speaker button in the corner. press it twice”

 

Fiona did as she was told, and the dingling sound stopped. She couldn’t thank the heavens enough.

 

“Thanks”- She deliberated stopping right there, but curiosity got the best of her.

“What does lol mean”

“aw ur so young and innocent”

“What does ur mean”

 

She probably sounded pathetic in his eyes, but she was annoyed. They couldn’t leave her out of the loop like that.

 

“lol means laughing out loud. and ur is just ‘you’re’ but like. shortened. you know’

‘Why did you laugh out loud. It wasn’t that funny”

 

Fiona got more confused the more answers she was getting. A quick look back in the group chat told her Sasha was easily getting the hang of it – she was sending so many abbreviations, Fiona got worried.

 

Where the hell did she learn what ‘wtf’ and ‘lmao’ meant!? Fiona was still stuck on ‘lol’.

 

“it’s just an expression”

“don’t question it”

 

“Hyperions are dumb”

 

Fiona closed the texts from Rhys, suddenly feeling old. She didn’t belong on this station. This whole thing was going to be more difficult that she anticipated. 

 

Sasha, on the other hand, seemed to be really enjoying herself. She told them all about her day and all the new weapons she got to test out.

 

Even if it was just an act on her part, Fiona was envious.

 

The only thing that happened to her was a lot of embarrassment. She didn’t know how she would survive the next couple of days without completely giving up and running away to Pandora.

 

The only thing that kept her going were the promise of the Vault and endless riches within, as well as the strive to bring back Gortys…

 

And the damn mystery of Rhys and Jack.

 

She swore she would definitely find out what was going on before this whole ordeal was over - even if it killed her. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> apologies to all the Chads out there for calling their name stupid. especially the tall, ginger ones with a fancy accent. you guys are cool.


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SYpJDOn1myo) and [here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvH-nbindvk)
> 
> a lil something for da ambiance
> 
> ya know when to press play

“Are you sure I look okay? I feel way overdressed. Like a rakk in a meeting room.”

 

Rhys kept turning in front of the mirror, adjusting his sleeves and his collar and his vest and everything and anything that could possibly be out of place. He never dressed this well for any event, ever. Not his prom, his parents’ wedding anniversary, his graduation – he felt completely out of place in this.

 

“You look gorgeous, cupcake. Trust me,”- Jack was advising him from the Echocom for the last hour or so, and he was beginning to get bored.

 

It was finally the day of their grand party, and Rhys was nervous as hell. Jack wanted to stay in the apartment with Rhys (in which he lived for the past week or so), but Rhys demanded he go home and actually get dressed in his own clothing. Rhys’s underwear was way too small for him, and Jack's pants were beginning to smell pretty damn bad.

Ever since Fiona and Sasha came up to Helios, Rhys’s life just kept getting more and more stressful. Apparently they became somewhat famous among the employees for their Pandoran ways, despite Rhys’s strict orders to keep a low profile.

 

Then again, he should’ve seen this coming.

 

But on the bright side, he finally managed to establish some kind of an authority over the shareholders. Him and Jack were rarely in the same meeting room anymore, but Jack did offer him a tip – if you want people to listen to you (without killing anyone, that is), shoot into the ceiling, and yell.

 

Rhys was reluctant to try that at first, but when a snobby board member asked him if he could clean up his coffee spill _right in the middle of Rhys’s monologue_ , he lost his patience.

 

So yeah, they did all cower in fear after that meeting, but hey, the guy cleaned up the spill with his own tie. Just as Rhys ordered him to do.

 

It was seriously fun, but he was beginning to feel like he _might_ have been abusing power.

 

Jack only congratulated him on a job well done.

 

“Seriously, quit turning in front of that mirror. You look fine,”- Jack yawned, and Rhys realized he was still nervously looking himself over all this time, -“Except, uh,  maybe... No, definitely - change your friggin’ socks, man.”

“What’s wrong with my socks?”- Rhys raised his foot up to examine it, seeing nothing out of the ordinary. Jack never had a problem with his socks before, he actually seemed to like them.

“Really, kid? They’re green with neon pink hearts on them. You’re going to a party, not a strip club.”

 

Rhys only huffed, putting on his shoes in defiance. He was now _definitely_ wearing those socks – fuck what Jack said, they were great.

 

Jack only rolled his eyes.

 

The shoes he had on were also new, delivered with his suit about a day ago. They were in prime condition, except for the tiny scratch mark Jack left on the right shoe when he stepped on it, back when Rhys was first trying on his outfit in the store.

 

“You know, making out in that dressing room was a bad idea,”- Rhys said, fondly remembering that day.

 

Sure, it was right before everything went to shit and Jack started shooting people up, but it was still a nice memory... Albeit a pretty embarrassing one at that.

 

“You loved it and you know it. I can’t keep my hands off of ya when you’re looking _that_ fine, pumpkin’,”- Jack purred, his eyes slowly tracing Rhys’s body up and down.

“Well, then tonight’s going to be a problem, isn’t it.”

“Not at all. I will nail you in front of all those people and they’re going to _enjoy_ it.”

Rhys flushed crimson at the idea, vigorously shaking his head, -“N-No, please don’t do that. Let’s keep it in our pants.”

Jack only laughed, -“What’s the big deal, princess? So I’ll kiss you here and there, who the fuck cares. People marry skags down on Pandora, so why can’t I make out with my hot as hell boyfriend in the middle of a giant party?”

 

Rhys didn’t even know where to begin with that question – the whole ‘people marry skags on Pandora’ part (which obviously wasn’t true) or the ‘hot as hell boyfriend’ part (which made Rhys’s stomach flutter). He was dating Jack for what felt like forever already, and yet the man still found ways of making Rhys a mushy mess in under a second.

 

Besides… Kissing in public _was_ a big deal. Rhys wasn’t sure he was ready for people to know.

 

He wasn’t sure if he would ever be ready.

 

“Rhys?”

 

He realized he was being silent for far too long when Jack called out to him, suddenly concerned. Rhys sighed, running a hand through his hair.

 

“It’s just… I don’t want them to think that _that’s_ how I got to where I am now, you know? I don’t want people to think of me as your trophy wife, or something…”- He mumbled, turning away from Jack.

 

There, he said it. His greatest fear about this whole affair, out in the open.

 

Jack stayed silent for a moment, before giving a low chuckle, -“Well, you _are_ hot enough to be my trophy wife, that’s for sure-“

“ _Jack_.”

“But you’re _not_. You got here fair and square - you deserved this, kid, and you _know_ it.”

“Yeah, well, the people out there aren’t going to think that-“

“Who the hell _cares!?”_ \- Jack suddenly exclaimed, and Rhys heard him slam a hand on the table, -“Those idiots have about as much of a brain as a bucket of piss. _You_ know you deserved this, and _I_ know you deserved this, and everyone else could overdose on their own shit and _die_.”

 

Rhys blinked in confusion for a second, wondering whether he should laugh at what Jack was saying or not. He was serious, sure, but the expressions the man chose sometimes… Well, they were less than eloquent.

 

Still, that pep talk _did_ make Rhys feel better.

 

Maybe it wasn’t such a bad thing if people found out, eventually…

Just…

 

“Not tonight, okay?”- Rhys pleaded with Jack, and the man reluctantly agreed.

 

“I will be touching you a lot under the table though. _A. Lot._ ”

 

Rhys only laughed, giving Jack a thumbs up.

 

 

• • • •

 

 

Fiona stood nervously by the elevator, poking at the ‘up’ button, but not quite pressing it. Sasha was patiently waiting for her sister to muster up her courage, glancing from her face down to the button and back again.

 

It was… a process.

 

They were both nervous before their first official Hyperion party – there were just so many damn rules to follow.

They met up with Rhys and Jack the day before to discuss their behavior. Jack told them to just do whatever the hell they wanted to, so he was no help. Rhys, on the other hand, gave them a list of precise instructions.

 

_“Don’t chew with your mouth open, don’t be too loud, don’t punch and/or kick anyone, don’t insult people, don’t stand out too much-“_

 

It’s almost as though he thought they were savages or something.

 

That annoyed Fiona to no end, but, well, most Pandoran parties _did_ include all those things he described. Hyperion parties were mostly just… Stand in a corner, laugh at unfunny jokes, and quietly drink your champagne.

 

Fiona could see why Jack seemed reluctant to go.

 

It was more a formality than anything else, but she was still worried.

With a final sigh, Fiona pressed the button, and she heard Sasha take a deep breath by her side.

 

“Well, this is it,”- She said with an awkward smile, -“Fancy life awaits!”

 

Fiona smiled back, really grateful she was not alone.

 

“Oh, hey guys!”- She heard a familiar voice call out to them, and turned around to face Vaughn. Yvette and Loader Bot were following him in tow.

 

Vaughn was wearing a nicely pressed dark blue suit and a matching bowtie, while Yvette looked gorgeous in a long black party dress. Even Loader Bot looked fancy – he had a new coat of paint that resembles a tuxedo and a tiny mustache on his ‘face’.

 

The sisters greeted them all, and they stepped into the elevator together (it was the biggest elevator ever, too, accommodating even Loader Bot).

 

“Have you guys seen Rhys?”- Yvette asked, leaning on the elevator's mirror.

“We thought he was with you,”- Fiona replied, and Yvette and Vaughn exchanged a knowing glance then. That… was suspicious.

“Well, doesn’t matter. Ready to party?”

“Oh, I am _so_ ready. I can't wait to try all the food and the drinks and the-”- Sasha shook her fists like a little child, and Fiona nudged her side, reminding her to behave. They had to be proper, after all.

 

The elevator arrived at the top floor of the fancy station the party was held in, and the doors opened to reveal a huge room filled with lights and people and glitter.

 

It was all gold and white, giant sparkling chandeliers hanging off of the ceiling. The room was so big, it could probably fit a couple Loader Bot armies, all stocked on top of one another.

In the middle, there was a huge table covered with a white cloth with food and drinks standing on top of it. People just came over and took plates and pieces of food, walking around and eating. Smaller tables and a few couches were placed at the far ends of the room, obstructed by shadows. Silent waiters dressed all in white and black also walked around with food or champagne on their plates, offering them to people.

 

Fiona has never seen anything quite like this in her entire life.

 

Soft music could be heard in the background, played by a band of musicians who stood on a small scene at the opposite end of the room. People were calmly walking and chatting with one another, eating and drinking.

 

Pandoran parties usually were held in a dusty bar somewhere in the shadier part of town, involved a lot of loud, booming music, a lot of heavy alcohol, and a _lot_ more violence than this. Hyperion parties, on the other hand…

 

Well, she didn’t know what she expected, but it was definitely not _this_.

 

“Too… Fancy…”- Fiona was hyperventilating, her eyes running over the place, not finding a single thing to focus on, -“…Can’t… Breathe…”

”Relax, Fiona,”- Yvette lightly slapped her on the back, walking forward, -“They’re not gonna bite”

“Yeah, Fi, relax!”- Sasha joined in, seeming way more enthusiastic than her sister, -“This is where we _belong!_ ”

“I’ll go get us some champagne,”- Yvette offered, venturing forward and getting lost in the masses.

 

Fiona leaned against a wall, trying her hardest not to turn around and run off. She really wished she wore her hat now – she could’ve at least hid behind it.

 

“ _There_ you are!”- It was Rhys, suddenly running towards them from the crowd. He wore the same suit he tried on back in the mall, and his hair was even more gelled than usual, -“I’ve been looking all over for you!”

“What’s up, bro?”- Vaughn gave him a quick punch in the shoulder, -“We just arrived-“

“Have any of you seen Jack!?”- Rhys didn’t even let Vaughn finish his sentence, interrupting him in a panic. He was worriedly looking from side to side, scanning the room with his eyes for any sign of the man. Fiona joined in, curious about what caused the commotion.

 

“He’s not here? We thought you were with him…”

“Man, if he-“- Rhys then interrupted himself, looking over at Loader Bot, momentarily distracted from his worries, -“Woah, LB! You came! Looking good there, pal!”

“I feel style,”- The robot replied, giving him a thumbs up, -“You look good too.”

“Thanks, pal.”

 

Fiona then caught a pair of ladies in the crowd wave over to the robot, giggling, and Loader Bot stumbled over through, excusing himself. He joined the ladies, who were now vigorously talking to him and laughing at everything he said.

 

The rest of the gang just stared at each other uncomfortably.

 

Who would've thought LB was such a ladies' man...

 

“Uhh… Where were we?”- Rhys blinked in confusion, looking after the robot who was patting one of the girls on the head.

“Jack, I think,”- Vaughn replied, looking just as stunned, and Rhys immediately returned to his moping.

“Ugghh… I swear to god, if that asshole doesn’t show up…”- He mumbled under his breath, fiddling with the hems of his vest, still looking around.

 

He was even more of a nervous wreck than Fiona expected him to be.

 

“Calm down, champ. So your buddy isn’t here yet, what’s the big deal,”- She rolled her eyes at him, finally getting the courage to leave the wall behind. Seeing Rhys freak out always made her feel better about herself.

 

“What’s the big deal? _What’s the big deal!?_ Jack is the friggin’ center of attention- If he’s not here, it means that I’m-“

“Rhys,”- Sasha tried to grab his attention, looking off somewhere into the crowd.

“Oh god, what am I going to tell the shareholders!? Anderson is here, isn’t she? She hates me so much-“

“Rhys!”- Sasha persisted, and Fiona followed her line of sight. Jack was moving towards them from the crowd, slowly sipping on his champagne. Nobody actually stared at him or fell silent as he walked, but the crowd still separated in front of him, allowing him to pass without hesitation.

“-And if O’Connor is here as well, I am going to be practically eaten alive-“

“RHYS,”- Sasha roughly grabbed him by the head then, turning it around to face Jack who was right behind him already. The man smirked at him, lowering his champagne glass, quickly raising his eyebrows.

 

“What’s up, cupcake?”

“Jack, oh thank god-“- Rhys grabbed him by the shoulders, relief washing over his features. He then gave Jack a look over, and his face distorted into a horrified expression, -“ _What the hell are you wearing!?”_

 

Fiona looked him over as well, seeing how much he stood out compared to the other fancy folk around here. He was wearing a pair of black jeans, a plain white shirt unbuttoned at the collar, and a black leather jacket with his sleeves rolled up. He looked more like a biker rather than the president of a huge corporation.

 

“Where is your suit-?”- Rhys tried again, but Jack only laughed, slapping him on the shoulder.

“Oh, no, no, no, no- Sweetheart, Handsome Jack doesn’t _do_ suits,”- He shook his head, downing his drink, -“These assholes better be grateful I showed up at all.”

 

Rhys looked annoyed, but didn’t say anything in return. Jack placed the empty glass on a tray of a waiter that passed by, and took another one from it.

 

“Hello, ladies, looking sexy, as always. That goes to you too, Vaughn,”- He winked at them, handing the glass over to Sasha. Vaughn waved him off, pressing a hand to his heart in mock swooning, -“Drink up and have fun. Relax and whatnot, trash the place – who cares!”

“No, no, do _not_ trash the place, I care _very_ much,”- Rhys waved his hands around, and Jack only laughed more.

 

Fiona wondered how the hell did two such different people come to be working together… And then she remembered that both of them were power-hungry, bloodthirsty Hyperion asshole scum, and it all made sense.

 

“Welp, I gotta go check up on stuff,” - Jack said, turning around and walking off… But not before giving Rhys a quick slap on the butt, -“See ya ‘round, baby.”

 

Rhys yelped, jumping away, and Fiona and Sasha turned to stare at each other in disbelief.

 

_D-Did that just actually-_

 

“You asshole, I told you not to-!“- Rhys began, but then looked over to the sisters and interrupted himself in the middle of the sentence, -“Uh, I- Um, I mean- Uh- Nothing.”

 

Okay, _now_  Fiona knew that something was _most definitely_ up.

 

She walked over to Rhys , angrily staring him down, -“ _What_ just happened.”

“Nothing! I mean, Jack- Jack happened! H-He’s just being Jack!”- Rhys was just edging farther away from her, backing into the crowd of people, -“And you _know_ how Jack is, right- Oh, I think someone’s calling me-“

Fiona roughly grabbed him by the wrist, pulling him back. She would be ready to believe that it was just Jack being Jack any day – but Rhys’s reaction told her he was definitely hiding something.

 

She’s known him long enough to know when that bastard was lying.

 

“Talk,”- She ordered, when a waiter passed by. He was holding shrimps on a stick on his tray, and Fiona grabbed one, pointing the sharp edge at Rhys’s throat, -“Or I’ll _make_ you talk.”

Rhys looked at the ‘weapon’, raising his hands up in defeat and swallowing down, -“O-Okay, okay, I’ll talk! Just get that thing away from me, it’ll stain my suit.”

 

Well, not the threat Fiona was going for, but it worked. She pulled her hand away, taking a bite of the shrimp.

 

It was _good._

 

Fiona was still _pissed_.

 

Rhys straightened his tie, coughing a couple of times before actually speaking, -“W-Well… The thing is… Uh... Vaughn, buddy, would you care to explain?”

Vaughn, in turn, choked on the champagne he just acquired, shaking his head, -“Oh, n-no. No way. You’re on your own here, pal.”

 

He walked off into the crowd in a hurry, without turning back. Fiona frowned at that reaction.

 

Sasha came closer to stand with Fiona, crossing her arms over. They both looked at Rhys expectantly, while he just kept restlessly adjusting his cuff links.

 

“Well?”- Fiona nudged on, growing impatient.

 

Rhys took a deep breath, turning his head away, -“Okay so. The thing is- I, um… Y’know… Jack and I are… Kinda… sorta… maybe, a little bit-“

“RHYS _-_ “

“- _Dating_.”

 

Fiona just stood there with her mouth hanging open, her eyes blinking in confusion. Rhys said that last part so fast and so quiet, she wasn’t sure if she heard it right.

 

The light blush on his face and the way he decidedly ignored their stares told her she did.

 

They stayed in silence for a moment, Fiona not even knowing how to react.

 

“…Yousaywhatnow?”- Sasha mumbled, turning to face Fiona in confusion.

But Fiona was less than confused.

 

Oh no, she was  _not_ confused at all. 

 

Suddenly, it was _all_ making sense.

 

The personality shifts, the pet names, the touching, the banter, the ‘thing’ in the dressing room, the butt slapping – hell, even Rhys’s weird devotion made sense. They were _dating._

 

 _Of course they were dating_.

 

How could she not have realized it sooner!?

 

“Oh, you _asshole_ ,”- Fiona rolled her eyes, laughing, roughly placing her hand on Rhys’s shoulder. Rhys flinched, but she didn’t do much more than just that.

 

She probably should’ve been a lot angrier, except that she was too busy reveling in the fact that she _finally_ figured out that missing piece of the puzzle. Rhys just stood there uncomfortably with her hand on his shoulder, shifting a little from leg to leg.

 

“Rhys, how could you do something like that!?”- Sasha cried out then, tilting her glass so much some of the champagne spilled out, -“How can you- How can you _be_ with someone like him?”

“D-Don’t say it like that! You think I _chose_ to fall for him?”- Rhys muttered in return, blushing harder. He was really a wimp when it came to feelings.

 

Sasha’s outburst awakened Fiona as well, and she remembered to at least pretend to be angry, -“So you’re dating the biggest jackass in the universe then, huh? Typical.”

“You know he’s not that bad-“

“Just _how_ many people did he kill, Rhys!?”- Sasha seemed properly scandalized. She was way more distressed than Fiona was… She had _no_ idea, did she? This must've been a way bigger surprise for her than for Fiona. 

 

“I don’t know- Look, it’s not like any of us are saints either,”- Rhys said with a defeated sigh, -“And could you please quit yelling?”

 

Fiona rolled her eyes at that. _None of us are saints, huh…_

 

She suddenly remembered everything Rhys told her about Jack and, well, that made her stomach feel icky. It was suddenly meaningless.

“So… all you said about him was because he fucked you, huh?”- She laughed, a certain disgust to her tone. It was mostly a joke, but...

 

That… seemed to cross a line.

 

Rhys straightened his back, his expression becoming much darker, and the blush previously covering his face was gone almost in an instant.

 

“Don’t you _dare_ say that, Fiona,”- He threatened, voice calm and level. Fiona almost flinched back from the sudden change in his attitude, -“I didn’t say a _damn word_ about him I didn’t believe to be true.”

 

Fiona glanced over to Sasha for a second. She was looking just as uncomfortable and bewildered as Fiona felt. 

 

“Jack is- He’s a _hero_ , dammit, and I’m- I’m lucky to be with someone like that. I'm lucky to have him  _trust_ me. We're going to save the world together - _just you watch_.”

 

Rhys was staring her in the eyes, and Fiona just nodded meekly. She had no idea to say to something like that.

 

Before, she may have accused Jack of manipulating Rhys, of just toying with him and his emotions. She would’ve laughed it off, or maybe punched Rhys in the face.

 

But now…

 

He sincerely believed in what he was saying.

 

And  _damn_ if she didn't feel stupid for not realizing all of this earlier. 

 

Before this moment, she would’ve thought that Jack has completely and absolutely brainwashed him into his loyal little puppet…

But maybe Rhys was just always like this. He firmly believed that Jack was... not a bad person.

 

And in that second, Fiona firmly knew she would be running as soon as this Vault ordeal was over.

 

She felt more awake now than she did in  _weeks_. 

 

Handsome Jack was in _no ways_ a hero, and Rhys was... Well, supporting the rise of a supervillain.

 

And he almost managed to convince Fiona he was right - he made her doubt _Handsome Jack_ , dammit. Thank god for _this_ wake up call.

 

Rhys was too far gone to save now, but she and Sasha could still get out.

 

Sasha seemed to realize that too, and she softly nudged Fiona’s hand. They would keep playing along for now, to get to the Vault.

 

That was their only objective from now on.

 

 

“Sorry, Rhys, I… Spoke out of turn,”- She said, grasping at the side of her arm, trying to look as apologetic as possible. 

Sasha joined in then, nodding firmly, -“For better or for worse, you… Seem to be really in love with him.”

 

Rhys didn’t reply, just looked off into the crowd with a heavy sigh.

 

Fiona searched his profile then, wondering just where the hell did it all go _so_ wrong.

 

 

But she knew the answer to that already – Jack was never the one to have corrupted Rhys.

 

Rhys was corrupted from the beginning.


	21. Chapter 21

The party was in full swing, and Rhys was strolling through the crowds, lost in his own thoughts, feeling like complete and utter shit.

  
  
He always knew Fiona and Sasha wouldn't react to the news well, yet that still didn't prevent him from feeling like crap.  
  
They had no clue who Jack was.

 

How beautiful he could be.

  
Rhys kept walking around, pondering his life choices and muttering under his breath, avoiding anyone who looked like they wanted to talk to him, when suddenly a familiar voice broke him out of his self-pity cycle.

  
  
"How does he do it..."- Vaughn mumbled, leaning against a pillar at the side of the room. He was looking somewhere off into the distance with a somber look on his face, and Rhys followed his line of sight.

Loader Bot was sitting on the couch on the other end of the room, surrounded by even more beautiful women than before. They all seemed to be laughing hard and enjoying themselves, leaning off of his arms and listening closely to what he had to say.

"I don't think he cares about the attention,"- Rhys smiled, leaning against the pillar next to his friend, -"His big metal heart belongs to Gortys."  
  
"Speaking of which... You're announcing the project soon, aren't you?"  
  
Rhys nervously swallowed, looking at the stage, -"Yeah... I am, aren't I."

  
  
He promised Fiona to make the official Gortys Project announcement today, so starting next week they could already begin working on plans to summon the Vault and take care of the Guardian. Jack was noticeably excited, even if he did doubt Rhys's choice of project leader

But Rhys was sure she could do it - he didn't know anyone who could be more motivated by riches than Fiona.

He only hoped that their earlier talk wouldn't hinder their work...

 

"Hey, cupcake, whatcha moping about?"- Jack appeared out of nowhere, with Tara by his side, taking notes on her Echocom. She was wearing a pair of brown pants and a white shirt, looking classy, yet professional. Maybe a little bit plain for the party, but then again, she didn’t seem to like standing out.  
  
"Hey, Jack. Hey, Tara - looking good,"- He smiled at the girl, who raised her head up to meet his gaze.  
  
She smiled back, a bit strained, -"I can say that about you too… Rhys."

The last time Rhys saw her was way back at the mall, when the shooting happened. She seemed to be over the trauma of blood and death, even if she was still a bit on the edge.

"We're gonna be called on stage soon. Think you're ready?"- Jack placed a hand on his shoulder, strong but gentle. He seemed to be a little worried, but maybe it was only Rhys's imagination.  
  
"He was born ready,"- Vaughn nudged his side, winking at him.

Rhys swallowed down, wondering how true that statement was. He didn't do a lot of public speaking... Although this was no different than a meeting, was it?

Only much, much, _much_ bigger.

  
"Good, 'cuz we're on in about five minutes,"- Jack nodded, finally letting go off of his shoulder.

 

Well, there's most definitely no turning back now.

 

"Oh, wait- Handsome Jack, sir,"- Tara called out, hiding her Echocom, -"They're going to be taking pictures of you for the news."  
  
"Yeah. So?"  
  
"I just... I thought it might be better if you, you know... Weren't holding onto your gun when they did that?"  
  
Jack furrowed his eyebrows, patting the gun holster on his leg. Rhys didn't even notice it at first - it seemed so natural to see Jack wearing it.

"Good idea, Tara. We want to make the 'new' Jack more approachable,"- Rhys nodded, already leaning down and unstrapping the holster.

  
He stopped when he realized that he should probably _not_ be touching Jack's thighs right now, especially so close to his... Uh, yeah.

  
He stepped away, allowing a very amused Jack to finish the task himself. He seemed to be so delighted by Rhys's little performance, he didn't even question the decision. Vaughn shifted uncomfortably from leg to leg, looking at Rhys and pointing to a place in the crowd, -"I'll, uh, be standing over there then."

Rhys only nodded, while Jack handed the gun over to Tara. She took it, promising to take good care of it, and went off into the crowd, leaving the two of them alone.

  
"So... big night, huh?"- Jack smiled, bringing his face closer to Rhys's, -"My baby boy's all grown up."  
  
"I'm 28, Jack, can we please stop it with the baby talk,"- Rhys rolled his eyes, still shifting closer to Jack.

  
  
They just stood together, leaning against the pillar, observing the crowd.

 

It was always comfortable with Jack.

 

No matter what anyone said or did, Rhys firmly believed in him.  
  
The way he was holding his hand behind their backs told him that Jack believed in him as well.

"Laaaaaadies aaaand gentlemeeeeen,"- The announcer called out then from the stage, and the soft music that was playing in the background stopped, -"And all of you who identify as both OR neither!"

  
  
The lights tuned down to make the room darker, and the crowd grew silent almost immediately, everyone turning to face the man on the stage, illuminated by a single spotlight. There were occasional whispers here and there, but mostly everyone remained silent, holding their breath's for the main event.

 

Jack gently squeezed Rhys's hand, straightening up, and adjusting his collar. Rhys inhaled deeply, taking a glass of water and quickly downing it to prepare for the speech he knew he had to give.

  
  
"Pleaaaaaase welcome on stage tonight!"- The announcer continued, pointing off the stage, -"Your all new, all improved Hyperion CEOs-"

 

There was a loud click somewhere in the distance, and then it was all white. Rhys raised a hand to shield his eyes, before actually realizing that it was the spotlight pointed at the two of them.

 

Everyone was staring.

 

Rhys held his breath.

 

"Handsome Jack aaaaaaand Rhys!"

 

• • • •

 

  
Fiona just rolled her eyes in distaste at the announcement.

 

  
Woo! We're all here in celebration of the mighty Jack and Rhys!! Woo!! Encore!!

  
  
_Bullshit._  
  
This was all bullshit.  
  
  
People cried and cheered like crazy, the only ones not joining in being her and Sasha.

  
  
The two assholes went up on stage, waving and smiling, Jack looking way more grand than Rhys. Good thing Rhys was taller, or he would've gotten completely lost in the other man's shadow.

  
  
"There you are!"- Yvette suddenly joined them, easily carrying three glasses of champagne in two hands, -"Sorry it took so long. I kept running into people I knew."  
  
"Yeah, well, you and I don't have that in common,"- Fiona mumbled, taking one of the glasses while her sister took another one. She spent most of the evening by Sasha's side, occasionally chatting with Chad or that one girl whose name she still didn't know.

  
  
The usually bubbly Sasha seemed reluctant to socialize with anyone. Rhys's earlier 'announcement' really hit her hard.

  
  
"They look so cute together... "- Yvette smiled, looking at Rhys and Jack on stage, waving to the still cheering crowd. She then widened her eyes, suddenly realizing what she said, and stuttered, -"W-Wait, I, um-  I meant-"  
  
"Save it, sister, I know what you meant,"- Fiona rolled her eyes. 'Cute' is the last thing they were together, -"Can't believe those pieces of skag shit are dating each other."

Yvette looked at her incredulously for a second, but didn't say anything else.

They stood in silence, just watching as Jack gave a grand speech about being back to Hyperion or whatever. Rhys stood by his side, nudging him from time to time whenever he began saying something inappropriate.

  
  
"-And with that said,"- Jack was finishing up, placing a hand on Rhys's shoulder, -"I am leaving the stage to my capable _partner_. Blow them away, Rhysie."

Fiona probably didn't imagine the emphasis on the word 'partner'.

  
  
Jack shoved Rhys towards the microphone, and, after ungracefully stumbling over some cords, he knocked it over on the ground with a loud thud. The microphone caught interference in the process, and the speakers emitted a loud shriek, amplified by the echo in the silent room.

  
  
Everyone in the audience, including Fiona, covered their ears in pain.

  
_Can't that jackass do ANYTHING right!?_

"S-Sorry! I'm so sorry about that!"- He stuttered out, fumbling with the microphone and adjusting the stand to his height. Fiona saw Jack laugh behind him in the background.

Well, at least someone was enjoying themselves.

"Um, so... Hi, everyone! My name is Rhys, and, as you may know, I'm a janitor,"- Rhys smiled, and Fiona raised her eyebrows in question, -"That's why _I'm_ in charge of the trash that is the Hyperion corporation-"

 

And then the crowd erupted in laughter, not letting him finish the sentence.

 

  
Rhys looked delighted by the reaction (and pretty surprised as well).

 

Fiona just sneered. Hyperion _was_ trash. Nothing funny about that.

Even Yvette chuckled by her side.

 

"But honestly, I _am_ honored to be chosen as the co-president of the most powerful corporation in the universe. It is the greatest thing that could happen to a person."

 _Liar_ , Fiona thought, remembering all the messages he sent to the group chat complaining about his job. 

"And, as the newly instated president, I already have my first big project in the workings. We..."- Rhys paused for a dramatic effect, smugly looking over the crowd, -"...Are going to open a Vault!"  
  
The previously empty wall behind Rhys suddenly lit up with bright colors and pictures, depicting Vaults and Vault keys, as well as a bunch of complicated schemes and numbers. Fiona was certain half of that was bullshit, but the crowd ate it up without a second thought.

  
  
They all cheered like mad, pumping their fists in the air, hollering and jumping up and down.

  
  
Fiona suddenly felt like she was in a bar back on Pandora when a fight broke out. The reactions were exactly the same - except this crowd was better dressed.

  
  
"And I would like to take this moment to introduce the project leader, most capable and most knowledgeable in the Vault business..."- Rhys continued, suddenly looking right at her all the way from across the room. Fiona swallowed down, getting a bad feeling, -"....Fiona!"  
  
  
Another spotlight fell right on her, hot white light blinding and unapologetic. Fiona just stared into the distance as the people around her cheered and clapped, feeling lost. She looked from side to side, only seeing darkness and nothing beyond that darkness.

  
  
She couldn't even see Sasha by her side anymore.

 

Not knowing what else to do, Fiona gave the crowd a little wave, and they cheered more.

  
"We're expecting great things from you, Fi!"- Rhys called out, and just as suddenly, it was blackness once again.

The spotlight was gone, leaving Fiona's vision swimming with blind spots.

"You okay?"- Sasha grabbed her wrist then, shaking her a little, -"You looked just like a skag in the headlights for a second there."  
  
"I-I wasn't ready. I'm- I'm fine, Sash,"- Fiona wasn't even sure if she was lying or not at this point, because her head was woozy with adrenaline and she still couldn't see a thing.  
  
"I think they liked you,"- Yvette offered, placing a hand on her shoulder.

 

Well, that's great, because at that moment, Fiona hated all of them.

 

She had to take a seat on one of the couches for the while.

 

Rhys kept talking on about his visions for the future and whatnot, with occasional interventions from Jack, and the crowd was completely immersed in their performance. Once the speech was over, a thousand cameras flashed all at once, the room becoming somewhat like Pandora during a thunderstorm.

  
  
Only instead of lightening it was camera flashes, and they came down way faster than any lightening Fiona has ever seen.

  
  
Rhys and Jack shook their hands, Jack placing his free one on the former's shoulder. They stood like that, unmoving, for the next eternity or so, the crowd still loudly cheering and clapping. Their wide smiles were some of the most fake ones Fiona has ever seen.

  
Once the last camera flash died down, the lights turned back on, and the chatter in the crowd resumed with twice the vigor.

Jack and Rhys left the stage and disappeared somewhere in the shadows. Probably to make out or something.

 

Fiona shuddered in disgust at that thought.

  
  
She looked over to where Yvette was chatting with Sasha, noticing Vaughn and Loader Bot walking over to them from the crowd.

It was nice to see them all together again. Kinda like the old days...

 

"What did you think of the speech?"- Fiona suddenly heard a female voice somewhere behind her. It wasn't one she recognized straight away.

She turned to see Jack's and Rhys's secretary leaning over the back of the couch, tilting her head ever so slightly to the side and giving Fiona a wide smile.

Fiona squinted her eyes for a second - she didn't buy it one bit.

 

She still smiled politely in return.

 

"Tara, right? Well, I thought it was… uh, long."  


She didn't know what else to say without sounding offensive.

She also didn't know why this girl was talking to her right now.

  
  
"Mind if I sit?"- Tara asked, and sat down beside her before Fiona could give her an answer, -"Wanna know what I thought of the speech?"  
  
"Uh… Sure. Yeah."

  
"I thought it was very pretentious,"- Tara's smile widened, her voice calm and level, -"I thought it was full of shit ideas and misleading promises. I thought it sucked."

  
  
Fiona blinked at her, not expecting to hear something like that from a Hyperion employee. Especially not from presidents' secretary.

  
That made her smile for real this time.

  
"It was, wasn't it? All that crap about the Vault and making life better... We all know how _that_ ended last time."  
  
Tara got a weird look on her face just then, looking away and towards Fiona's friends, -"Yes... We do."

Fiona followed her eyes, seeing Rhys joining the group, with no sign of Jack by his side.

 

They all looked so peaceful and happy together, just laughing and talking. Sasha even hit Rhys on the shoulder, and hard at that, judging by the way he stumbled over.

 

Fiona wondered why it couldn't have just ended like that way before.

  
  
"Do you think they kissed after that speech?"- Tara suddenly asked, and Fiona choked on air.  


Now _that_ was another thing she didn't expect.

  
"Wh-Wha-"  
  
"Rhys and Jack. They're dating, you know,"- Tara calmly explained, her eyes never leaving Rhys, -"I saw them kiss in the dressing room when we went to try on clothes."

  
  
Fiona nodded, not knowing what to say to that. On the one hand, she was kind of disgusted that they did do what she thought they did back then.

 

On the other, she was more than creeped out by Tara telling her this.

 

"And here I thought Rhys was different. I thought he was a good person... But he's just like him."

  
  
That... was true.

 

Fiona could understand her feelings - she also realized that not too long ago. But it was weird that his _secretary_ would be saying something like that. Did she... have feelings for Rhys or..?

  
  
"You know, I like you,"- She suddenly said, turning to Fiona and leaning in, -"I feel like you understand me. Understand my hate."  
  
Fiona's eyes widened then as she shifted backwards, away from Tara's face. There was something... unsettling about her then.

 

Something about the crazy look in her eyes, or the way her voice was shaking.

It was only then that Fiona caught the sight of a gun lying in Tara's lap, the way she was clutching the handle with unwavering hands.

"What are you-"- Fiona asked, before the girl stood up, and decidedly began walking forward.

  
  
"It was nice talking to you, Fiona. I don’t think we'll get a chance to talk again."

 

Tara was steadily moving towards the table in the middle of the room, against which Jack was leaning while talking to one of the guests.

 

Fiona's breath caught in her throat as she realized what Tara was about to do.

 

Her entire body froze, and she felt a shudder run down her spine.

  
  
She watched in slow motion as Tara got closer to Jack without catching his attention, raised the hand with the gun up in the air, and then fired a single shot into the ceiling.

 

The crowd immediately erupted into chaos, people screaming and frantically turning around to find the source of the gunshot, plates and glasses falling and breaking against the marble floor.

 

  
Fiona kept her eyes on Jack, who immediately turned around to look at Tara, his eyes igniting in rage. His hand reached for his thigh where he usually kept his gun holster, finding nothing in return.

 

This was it then…

  
  
Except that Tara didn't shoot.

She only used the back of the gun to hit Jack across the face, sending him flying into the table behind him. The table broke in half under his weight, the food and the drinks crashing and scattering around the floor.

  
The people weren't screaming or panicking anymore, just holding their breaths while Tara pointed the gun at Jack's head.

 

  
  
A circle formed around the gunner and the fallen CEO, nobody daring to make a move or speak or even breathe.  
  
It was all still for a moment as Jack glared up at the girl, and she stared down at him with unseeing eyes.  


 

And then, Rhys came running forward.  


 

"JACK-"- He screamed, pushing the crowd aside, running up to Tara.

  
She didn't turn around, only cocked the hammer with a loud click, making Rhys stop in his tracks, -"Another move, and I'll shoot."  


 

Fiona stood up then, finally snapping out of her stupor.

 

This was _real_ , and this was _happening_. She had to do _something._

 

 

She quietly made her way to the edge of the crowd, closer to the place where there were less people.  
  
As soon as she found the perfect spot to observe, she didn't dare make another move in case Tara noticed.

  
  
"Why are you doing this!?"- Rhys yelled in desperation. He looked like he wanted to jump right at her, do something, _anything-_ but he couldn't move. His eyes kept traveling  from the gun down to the fallen Jack, who was now bleeding from the wound on his forehead.

  
  
Tara didn't reply, her hold on the gun firm, her pose steady.  


Jack glared at her with hate in his eyes... Before suddenly his lips cracked into a wide smile.

 

And then he was shaking his head, his manic laugh echoing in the silent room, his fingers curled up into tight fists. Fiona shuddered at the sight.  

"Oh ho ho, I am going to _enjoy_ snapping your neck in half, princess,"- He said, moving to sit up. Tara took a step forward, and he stopped in his tracks, his smile dropping, -"First, I am going to put my hands around your neck. Then, I am going to slowly squeeze every last breath out of you. And _then,_ as you are about to die, I am going to let you breathe again, and I will do it over, and over, and _over-_ "  
  
" _Shut up_ ,"- Tara said, her voice firm, but her hands were trembling, -"I don't- I don't give a _shit_ about your threats. I stopped giving a shit a long time ago."

  
  
Fiona took a deep breath as she saw Tara's eyes begin to water. She blinked away the tears, straightening her back.

There was... something not right about this. It was almost as though...  


"I know I'm not making it out alive. But neither is _he,_ "- She said then, talking to Jack and only Jack.

  
Jack sneered at her, tilting his head, -"Just what the hell are you-"  
  
"You took my _everything_ away from me..."- She began, and Fiona saw her take a step back, -"...so _I_ will take what's most precious to _you._ "

  
  
Jack's eyes widened then with realization, quickly shifting to look behind her, at Rhys, who was still silently watching.

 

 

Fiona didn't have to think twice before lunging forward.

 

Tara turned around swiftly, her gun pointed directly at Rhys's head, and time must have stopped then because it was all deafeningly quiet for a few short moments.

 

  
  
And then a single gunshot rang throughout the room.

 

  
The crowd screamed, people panicking and running around like crazy, everyone heading towards the elevators and emergency exits that were plastered around the room. The sounds of crashing dishes filled the air, and people were dropping down, running each other over, pushing and pulling and doing anything and everything to get out of the place as quickly as possible.

 

 

Fiona wasn't in a rush.

 

She was quietly sitting on top of Tara, holding her hands behind her back. Her gun was lying on the ground a few feet away, kicked around by the panicking people.

 

The bullet she fired was silently smoking in a pillar above their heads.

 

"What the _fuck_ \- Fiona, what are you _doing!?"_ \- Tara struggled underneath her, trying to get out from her hold.  
  
"Stopping a murder,"- Fiona replied, holding her tighter. 

  
  
She turned around to see Rhys running up to Jack, lunging into his arms. As disgusting as she may have felt upon seeing that, she would've been even more disgusted to see Jack rampage over Rhys's dead body.

  
  
This was the lesser of the two evils, really.

  
  
"You... You don't understand! I thought you would _understand_ -!"- Tara cried out, desperately struggling to escape, -"You, of all people, Fiona-!"  
  
After another moment of screaming and kicking, she gave up, loudly exhaling and pressing her cheek against the hard floor. Her hair, which she usually kept in a nice ponytail, was now falling in her face, covering half of it.

 

She looked over to where Rhys was inspecting Jack's wound, and Jack was holding Rhys's hand against his cheek.

 

"They don't... They don't _deserve_ to be happy..."

  
  
"And who are you to say that?"- Fiona asked, also observing the scene. Jack seemed to be preoccupied by checking whether Rhys was alright, ruffling his hair, whispering something only the two of them could hear.

 

"That man... He... He _killed_ my parents,"- Tara finally said, her voice shaking. Fiona looked over to her with wide eyes, seeing tears streaming down her cheeks, -"He shot both my mom and my dad... He shot my _family_ …"

 

Tara was silently crying, watching Rhys help Jack up to his feet, completely lifeless now under Fiona's hold.

 

"They were just lowly Hyperion employees… They weren’t anyone important… I never found out why…”-  She continued, her voice quiet and broken, -“You seemed... Like you would understand. You hate him too, don't you? I could see it in your eyes when you looked at him... So why... _Why_ did you stop me..!"

 

Fiona sighed heavily, loosening her hold on the girl. She was certain she wouldn't run away anymore.

 

 

She had nowhere left to go.

 

"I _do_ hate him. I hate him with everything I have. But..."- She looked over at Jack, who was now walking towards them, his eyes staring only at Tara. There was something much darker burning in them now, and Fiona swallowed down, suddenly not sure of her own actions anymore.

  
  
She thought about it for a second, thought why she jumped out when she did - and then she looked at Rhys. He was following behind Jack, yelling something that was lost in the crowds screams, but he looked desperate.

 

He wanted to stop Jack, probably.  


Fiona sighed heavily, wondering whether she made the right choice.  


"Jack might have taken your everything from you, but... He saved my everything for me... He saved my sister's life."  
  
Tara's eyes widened then, her head snapping to the side to look at Fiona. Fiona felt her body tense up, and her expression was horrified, shocked, tears never stopping flowing out of her eyes.

  
  
"H-He... S-Saved...?"

 

As soon as Jack was beside them, Fiona stood up, leaving Tara to him.

 

She knew there was nothing in the world she could do to stop him, so she left it up to Rhys. Fiona wasn’t dying today, that’s for sure.

 

She walked off without turning back, stopping by Jack only for a second.

  
  
"You saved the life of the person most dear to me. I simply repaid the favor,"- Fiona told him, observing Rhys who was standing a bit farther away, watching them, -"I hate being in debt."  


She moved along then, without another word, not wanting to see what Jack was going to do to the girl.

  
  
People around them were still yelling and running despite the threat being long gone, so it was difficult to find Sasha in the commotion.

Though Loader Bot _was_ a good indicator

 

She was standing with the robot, Vaughn, and Yvette, behind the stage, the latter holding what appeared to be some sort of a secret door.

"There you are!"- Sasha yelled, dropping into her arms. Fiona hugged her back, once again grateful for her presence.

  
"Is Rhys okay!?"- Vaughn yelled taking her by the arm.  
  
Fiona only sighed, nodding her head, -"He's with Jack. They're... taking care of Tara."

  
  
She looked over to where Rhys and Jack were supposed to be standing, but the view was obstructed by the hundreds of running people. She only sighed again, turning to the rest of her friends.

  
  
"She... She wanted to kill Rhys because she hates Jack. Wanted to make him suffer."

  
  
They only nodded in return, and Yvette instructed for them to go through the secret evacuation route.

  
Fiona didn't know whether it was wise not to tell them about Tara's parents, but...Well, it was her way of repaying the debt.

 

Jack saved Sasha, and Fiona saved Rhys.  


They were even now, and she never owed them anything else.  


She did, however, regret telling Tara about Jack saving her sister. The girl looked so conflicted then, so... Broken.

 

  
  
She was going to die doubting everything she ever knew, everything she ever stood for - because Fiona was certain Jack was going to kill her. There was no other way.

  
Tara would die at the hands of the man who killed her parents, wondering whether she made a horrible mistake and he really was a good person.

 

  
And it was all Fiona's fault.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> suddenly: heavy stuff


	22. Chapter 22

Rhys held his breath, squeezing his eyes shut, preparing for the inevitable jolt of pain… That never came.

 

The last thing he remembered was staring down the barrel of a gun - the next time he opened his eyes, people were running back and forth and there were loads of screaming and panicking and-

 

 

 _Jack_.

 

_Oh, god- Jack-!_

 

 

He was still sitting across from Rhys, staring at him from the floor with wide eyes, motionless, unseeing. Besides the shock and the wound on his head, he seemed to be… Okay.

 

 _He was okay_.

 

 

“Jack!”- Rhys cried out, his voice hoarse and unsteady, his legs already moving by themselves, and suddenly he was running over and throwing his arms around the other man, -“Y-You’re okay! You’re alive-“

 

 

Jack was properly stupefied, jolting back from the sheer force of the embrace. His body was stiff against Rhys's, his breathing fast and shallow, and Rhys had to pull back to make sure that he really was as okay as he seemed.

 

Jack still didn't say a word.

 

He just took Rhys’s hands in his own, looking at them with unseeing eyes, his face an expression between bewildered and distraught. He was probably hit pretty hard on the head, because it took him more than a few moments to completely regain his composure.

 

Rhys took the opportunity to inspect the still bleeding wound on his forehead. It didn’t seem to be too deep, so it would probably heal without scarring. Rhys ran his fingers down the ridges of Jack's mask, sighing heavily. His hands were still trembling. 

 

He then suddenly saw Jack raise his hands up to his face, gently caressing his fingers, and felt him slowly press his lips against the knuckles.

 

“I… I thought I lost you.”

 

His lips were moving against Rhys’s skin, his words so sad and hurt and broken.... Rhys couldn't help but smile. Jack really liked to play the tough guy, but he could be ridiculously sensitive from time to time.

Then again, Rhys  _did_ nearly die.

 

It was nice to know Jack truly cared. 

 

“I’m alright,”- Rhys told him, not quite believing it himself.

 

Maybe he _was_ dead, and this was heaven.

 

...Well, heaven sure had a lot more screaming people than he thought it would, but at least Jack was here as well.

 

The man inspected Rhys’s head then, checking for any signs of injury (or maybe a bullet hole, who knows), his hands getting lost in Rhys’s hair, pulling him closer. Despite all the panic, despite the hundreds of people running around the room, in that moment, it was just the two of them.

 

Rhys slowly leaned in, pressing a soft kiss to Jack’s lips, not particularly caring about who sees. Jack kissed him back, still firmly holding onto his hair and his hand, as though Rhys might disappear if he let go. If he wasn’t saved when he was…

 

 

Wait, how _was_ he saved..?

 

 

Tara was pointing a gun at him one moment, and the next-

 

 

Rhys turned his head from side to side, finally noticing Fiona sitting on top of Tara, holding her down. They were quite a few feet away, too.

 

 

At least she didn’t seem to have her gun anymore.

 

 

Rhys realized a moment too late that Jack followed his gaze, and he was already up on his feet and walking, his expression dark and determined. Rhys quickly stood up, following after him.

“Jack, wait-!“- He called out, fully and completely understanding what _exactly_ Jack was about to do, -“Jack, stop! For fuck’s sake, Jack-“

 

Jack didn’t even turn around to face him, or grace him with a reply. He just kept on walking.

 

Fiona saw them, and Rhys allowed himself to hope that maybe she would interfere, but… She just stood up, and walked over to Jack, telling him something while staring directly at Rhys. She moved in the opposite direction then, and disappeared into the crowd.

 

 

Rhys swallowed down, realizing he was all alone.

 

 

And he had to stop Jack…

 

Who was now holding Tara by her hair, and slamming her hard against a pillar.

 

“Well look who failed to kill me,”- He hissed at her, placing a hand around her throat. Her feet weren’t touching the ground, lifelessly dangling in mid-air, and her tear-stained face was steadily growing bluer with each passing moment.

“I- I never in-intended- To k-kill you-“- She coughed out, clawing at Jack’s hand. Despite the lack of oxygen, the obvious pain, and the tears, she was still smiling, -“I wanted- T-To hurt- You…”

 

“Why!?”- Rhys cried out, not daring to move closer. He wanted to stop Jack, he really did, but…

 

The hurt of betrayal had him hesitating.

 

“I… I don’t- I don’t even know-!”- Tara cried out, smiling even wider. She looked mad now, laughing and coughing while continuing to pull at Jack’s hand, struggling for air, -“I don’t- kn-know anymore! I don’t- kno-ow any- thing-!”

She kept on laughing as Jack squeezed harder, his teeth bare and face distorted in contempt. Just as her eyes were rolling backwards and she was beginning to pass out due to the lack of air, Jack let go, and she fell to the floor with a loud thud, sputtering and breathing heavily.

 

“So you wanted to off my fucking boyfriend for shits and giggles, huh!?”- Jack yelled, roughly kicking her in the face. His boot connected with her jaw, and her head roughly snapped to the side, hitting the marble floor. 

Rhys didn’t turn away when he saw blood, just kept on watching as Jack kicked Tara's body over and over. He probably should _not_ have felt his stomach flutter when Jack called him his boyfriend. He also probably should not have found Jack being protective over him to be so… adorable.

 

 

Not while he was beating another human being to death.

 

 

Somehow, that factor was becoming less and less relevant in Rhys’s life.

 

 

“Jack… You don’t have to- You don’t have to kill her,”- Rhys plead one more time, still feeling like this was the right thing to do somewhere deep inside his gut. He gave Yvette another chance - Tara could have one too… Right?

 

“I d-don’t… I don’t ge-get it, R-Rhys…”- Tara breathed heavily as she was kneeling on the floor, spitting up blood and a couple of teeth, -“You are… You ar-re not a b-bad per-son…”

 

Jack took her by the throat again then, roughly slamming her against the pillar one more time. Rhys saw a trickle of blood run down Tara’s chin, and took a step closer to Jack.

 

“Neither am I, pumpkin’,”- Jack smiled, tightly squeezing her neck, -“I just _hate_ it when my secretary decides to abuse my trust and stab me in the back.”

 

Tara laughed then, bitterly, coldly. She looked down on Jack in disgust and something akin to… pity..? –“Y-Yeah, well… It’s no wonder- Eve-Everyone y-you ever l-loved be-betrayed you.”

 

She then tilted her head to look at Rhys with the last of her strength, coughing heavily, -“A-And I suggest y-you… Do t-that a-as well...”

 

She… should not have said that.

 

Jack’s eyes lit up with rage, his hands shaking from the force with which he was crushing her throat. He slammed her body against the pillar several more times, before taking Tara’s neck in both hands, and digging his fingernails in.

 

Rhys turned away then, unable to watch anymore, squeezing his eyes shut. He knew there was no stopping Jack now, no matter what he did.

 

 

 

He heard Tara’s heavy breathing for a few more seconds, and then the deafening crunch of bone.

 

 

It was silent for a moment.

 

 

Rhys slowly opened his eyes, seeing Jack let go of the limp body, and it quickly dropped to the floor without a single noise. Jack’s fingers were covered in blood, and there were deep red marks on the girl’s neck.

 

 

There was no one left around anymore.

 

 

It was just Rhys and Jack and the lifeless body.

 

 

Rhys exhaled slowly, shakily, his hands trembling ever so slightly.

 

 

It was… not as surreal as before. He didn’t feel as traumatized, despite the brutality.

 

 

But he still felt wrong. He felt angry, disgusted - mostly with himself for being too weak to stop Jack. Disgusted for actually… Enjoying…?

 

_No._

 

He could’ve fucking stopped Jack.

 

He should have _fucking stopped him-_

 

 

“We’re leaving,”- Jack stated, roughly grabbing Rhys by the wrist and pulling him towards the exit.

“No, Jack, wait-“- Rhys immediately resisted, not even knowing why.

 

 

Jack’s grip on his wrist, his blood soaked fingers staining his suit and shirt, and everything and anything were making Rhys mad, had him fighting against Jack.

 

 

Maybe it was his mind’s final resort in the fight against the corruption from the virus that was Handsome Jack.

 

 

“Wait, _dammit_ -!”- Rhys tried again, pulling back, but Jack only tightened his hold and pulled harder.

 

 

It was painful, but he didn’t stop no matter how much Rhys yelled.

 

 

He just continued to pull him forward.

 

 • • • •

 

Jack practically threw him into the shuttle, slamming the door shut behind them. The ride was quick and quiet, with Rhys fuming silently in the corner.

 

He refused to look at Jack, or even acknowledge his existence.

He was _pissed_.

 

Jack was mad, too.

 

He pulled Rhys out by wrist again as soon as they arrived, roughly pushing him out of the shuttle and onto a platform.

“I can fucking _walk_ you know-!”- Rhys yelled before realizing he actually had no idea where they were.

 

He never was on this station before, and he never even heard of it. They were definitely not on Helios, so where the hell did Jack…

 

They were walking through a giant, completely white hallway, Jack marching ahead, fast and determined. They finally reached the elevator, and Jack pushed him inside, walking in behind. The elevator had no buttons at all and whatsoever, only a monitor on one of the walls, and was just as white and surreal as the rest of the place.

 

“State your authorization-”- A computer voice required, and Jack impatiently slammed a wall with his fist.

“Handsome fuckin’ Jack. Now get me to my fucking apartment,”- He replied, and the computer showed a big green check sign on the monitor. The doors closed, and it began moving upwards.

 

Rhys crossed his arms, leaning against a wall. After everything that happened, Jack was… Taking him to his apartment..?

 

“What the hell are we doing here!?”- He asked, glaring at Jack’s back. He still refused to face Rhys, -“Take me home.”

 

Jack didn’t answer, just continued to stare ahead. Rhys noticed the blood smear Jack left behind when he hit the wall, and felt his stomach clench.

 

“I _said_ take me home-”- Rhys tried again, when the doors of the elevator opened, and Jack roughly took him by the shoulder, throwing him inside.

“ _SHUT. UP_ -“

 

Rhys stumbled in, falling over, and his knees suddenly hit the hard wooden floor. Jack seemed to have completely lost it - he was pacing around the room, shaking in anger, clenching his fists at his side, -“Will you _quit it_ with the _yapping_ and the _whining_ -“

 

“Why are you being such an asshole!?”- Rhys suddenly yelled, getting up.

“Oh, I’m _sorry,_ I guess I just _imagined_ my friggin’ _secretary_ pointing a gun in my FUCKING FACE-“

 

Jack slammed his fist on a glass counter, which cracked underneath it. Rhys didn’t flinch back, only moved forward, closer to Jack’s face.

 

“Yeah, well, none of that matters anymore, because she’s fucking _dead_.”

“You can’t fucking do this to me, Rhys- you can’t blame me for fucking killing her. She knew _exactly_ what she was doing-“

“YOU DON’T _HAVE_ TO KILL PEOPLE, JACK, WHY CAN’T YOU-“

“ _SHUT UP_.”

 

Jack moved away from him, across the room, kicking a table over in his anger, his fingers clutching at his hair, tearing it out. Blood was smeared across his face now, making him look more like an animal rather than a man.

 

Rhys swallowed hard, clenching his own fists, -“People were _just_ starting to see that you're a good person, Jack. You just had to go and _ruin_ -“

 

 

He never got to finish that sentence, because the next thing he knew were a pair of hands around his throat, and his back pressed against the wall.

 

Rhys’s breath hitched, and he promptly shut his eyes, throwing his head back and preparing for the pressure that was sure to come. He swallowed down again, feeling Jack’s hands shake against his throat.

He waited, and waited, but…

 

Nothing happened.

Jack never began squeezing.

 

Rhys slowly opened his eyes then, daring a look at Jack’s face.

 

He was just staring at his own bloodstained hands, frozen in place, his body trembling ever so slightly. After another moment, he let go, sharply turning around and walking over to take a seat in one of the chairs.

 

“Get out,”- He said, placing his face in his hands and hunching over.

 

In that moment he just... he looked desperate, broken…

 

Tired.

 

Rhys suddenly didn’t feel as angry anymore.

 

“Ja-“

“I SAID GET OUT,”- Jack roared, but he didn’t move - just continued sitting in that same position, staring at the floor, his entire body shaking.

 

Rhys contemplated leaving for a moment - just turning away right there and then, and never coming back.

 

But…

 

He would never forgive himself if he did.

 

“Jack…”- He tried again, softer this time. He walked over to the man, kneeling in front of him, softly placing his hands on Jack’s lap. He felt Jack flinch under his touch, as though not expecting it, -“I’m _not_ going to leave… And I know you don’t want me to, either.”

 

Jack didn’t say anything for the longest moment, just continued staring at the floor, his eyes fixated on one spot. He then slowly shifted his gaze to Rhys’s face, his hands tugging harder at his hair.

 

“I… I will _hurt_ you,”- He said then, his voice tight and hoarse and so unlike Jack _,_ Rhys’s heart was breaking just by hearing it, -“I don’t _want_ to hurt you. _Get out._ ”

 

 

Rhys took a deep breath, his body stiffening. He didn’t get out. Neither did he move - only tilted his head to rest on Jack’s lap, not saying a word.

 

 

Jack was… controlling his impulses for Rhys. And maybe staying _was_ a bad idea, for both of them for that matter, but… Rhys couldn’t bring his legs to move. Couldn’t bring himself to leave this man behind.

 

 

He was betrayed… yet again. And it was taking a bigger toll on him each time.

 

 

Rhys couldn’t just leave him. Not now, not ever.

 

 

And so he stayed.

 

 

They sat like that, unmoving, for the longest time. Rhys didn’t count the minutes, just waited patiently until Jack’s body stopped shaking, until it relaxed under his touch.

 

The silence gave him an opportunity to actually take a look around the apartment.

 

It was huge – way bigger than anything Rhys ever saw at Helios. The walls were a dark purple color, complementing the view of the distant space outside the gigantic windows that surrounded the wall opposite the entrance.

The two of them were now sitting on one of the black chairs in the living area, in front of a TV, a turned over glass table Jack kicked earlier lying at the side. Behind them was a dining table with four chairs, and to the right of that there was a small kitchen (still _way_ bigger than Rhys’s).

A bit farther was a half transparent blue glass wall behind which there was what Rhys could make out as a bedroom. The bed, or at least what he could see, was _huge._ It was also pretty dark. Jack never turned the lights on.

 

It was only a one bedroom apartment, Rhys realized. He suddenly remembered that Jack had a daughter, and furrowed his eyebrows.

 

How old was she anyway..?

 

Judging by the picture Rhys saw on the desk in the office, she was no older than maybe five or six… Then again, it might have been an old picture.

 

Rhys would ask him about it later.

 

Now, Jack was finally moving, finally snapping out of it. He straightened his back, loudly cracking his knuckles and his neck, and looked around the apartment, as though just realizing where he was. He then noticed Rhys, still leaning on his lap with both arms, looking up at him in concern.

 

Jack exhaled softly, a gentle expression on his face, and, after hesitating for a second, fondly ruffled Rhys’s hair.

“You use too much gel, kitten,”- He whispered, voice still unsteady.

 

Rhys softly giggled in response, too happy to have Jack back to say anything.

 

Jack got up then, stretching out, and wandered over into the kitchen, simultaneously shrugging his jacket off and dropping it on the floor. Rhys climbed onto the chair Jack was sitting in, watching him undo the buttons on his shirt as he browsed the drawers, taking out a mug and fiddling with the coffee machine. He was mumbling something to himself as he pressed the buttons, struggling to find the right settings for a latte, scratching at the base of his neck in mild irritations at the machine's noncompliance. 

 

Rhys realized that he could probably do this all day long – just sit around and watch Jack.

 

“See, kid, this is why I hate parties. Shit _always_ goes down at parties,”- Jack chuckled, finally managing to pour himself a mug of coffee, -“Want some?”

 

Rhys didn't say anything - just took another moment to look at this man. This messy man, who was now leaning against the counter, sipping coffee from a mug that said ‘World’s Best Boss’, standing there with his shirt unbuttoned and his chest exposed, with blood stained hands and face, looking at Rhys like he was the most precious thing in the world.

 

And that’s when he really, _truly_ realized it.

 

For he first time ever, Rhys realized it, and he wasn't afraid to admit it anymore. 

_I_ … _love him._

 

“Rhys-?”- Jack tried again, concerned by the lack of answer and the weird expression on the other man’s face, but Rhys interrupted him.

 

 

“I love you,”- He mumbled, quick and straightforward and so sudden, Jack just froze in place, his mug halfway to his mouth.

 

Rhys smiled fondly, titling his head, his face probably the most love-struck it’s ever been. Jack looked into his eyes for a long moment, before taking a sip of his coffee.

 

“Move in with me,”- He said then, his eyes fixated on Rhys.

 

...

 

_Move... in...?_

 

Rhys blinked once.

Then twice. 

 

It took him a second to comprehend what Jack was asking, and when he finally did, his heart sped up tenfold. He felt himself steadily returning to reality, as though he’s been floating somewhere in outer space this entire time.

 

“Wh-Wha-!?“

 

Jack placed his mug on the counter then, moving closer to Rhys, gently cupping his face in his hands, and planting a soft kiss on his lips. He smelled of blood and cologne and tasted of bitter coffee, and Rhys immediately deepened the kiss, getting lost in everything that was _Jack_.

 

The man then walked around the chair, scooping him up and carrying him bridal style over to the bedroom, all while softly pressing his lips against Rhys’s forehead, -“Move in with me, cupcake. We practically live together anyway.”

 

“Y-Yeah, but at my place…”- Rhys whispered, hooking his arms around Jack’s neck.

“Mine’s much bigger. And prettier. Way more fit for a princess like you.”

 

Rhys disregarded the insult _(...or was it a compliment?)_ , wondering about the proposal for a second.

 

 

He found nothing to protest about.

 

He _did_ want to get a bigger place, and living with Jack was, most of the times, pretty easy. It was a little farther away from work, sure, but if it was with _Jack_ …

 

Jack was placing him on the bed then, taking off his jacket, slowly undoing the buttons on his vest.

 

“I will have to move all my stuff…”- Rhys pondered out loud, as Jack continued to undress him, disregarding his vest on the floor and moving onto his shirt and tie.

“You can even bring your posters with ya,”- Jack laughed against his exposed neck, and Rhys shuddered.

“No, no, I’m definitely _not_ doing _that_.”

“I’m just sayin’ you can-“- Jack moved to remove Rhys’s shoes, stopping once one of them was off and scoffing in disgust, -“ _Really_ , kid!? You wore _those_ fucking socks? After I _explicitly_ told you _not_ to?”

Rhys laughed then, suddenly remembering how he blatantly ignored Jack’s instructions, -“Oh, yeah, I’ll definitely be bringing all my socks-“

“Okay, _no_. We’re burning all of them, and buying you plain black ones. Like a normal person.”

“But plain socks are so _boring_. I wanna bring my entire collection over- Ah!”- Jack bit at his collar bone then, making Rhys yelp and push him away, -“Uncalled for!”

 

“So is that a yes?”- Jack suddenly asked, looming over Rhys, staring into his eyes.

“H-Huh?”

“Will you move in with me?”

 

Rhys turned his head away, looking out of the giant window and into the cosmos beyond.

 

His answer was already decided for him a long time ago.

 

“…Yeah. Yeah, I will.”

 

 _“Sweet!”_ \- Jack made a quick fist pump, sounding way more excited than Rhys expected him to. He then shook his head, coughing a little, -“Uh, yeah- Well, _that_ was lame. Never doing that again.”

 

Was he… actually worried about this? Was he actually worried about Rhys’s answer!?

 

 

As if he could have possibly said ‘no’ at this point in his life.

 

 

Rhys brought Jack's face down, kissing his lips slowly, still tasting that acidic coffee. He was beginning to feel ridiculously tired then, dropping back down on the bed, having no more strength to do anything else at this point.

 

The party wasn’t even a rollercoaster of emotions – it was more like a tornado wrapped around an earthquake stuffed into a forest fire. Good thing they didn’t have work for another two days, otherwise Rhys would’ve shot himself.

 

“Hey, Rhysie,”- Jack gently slapped him on the cheek when he started to drift off, shaking him awake, -“ _Hey_. Don’t you dare fall asleep on me. Aren’t we gonna bang?”

Rhys pushed Jack’s face further away, turning over in bed, -“Nngh… Gross.”

“Aw, c’mon, cupcake! Not even a quickie?”

“Leave, you perv,”- Rhys mumbled as Jack continued leaving kisses alongside his ribs, -“Jack… Quit it… That tickles… And I’m tired…”

“Well _fuck_ , didn’t know I was in a relationship with a grandpa. Should’ve gotten a senior discount for your suit.”

 

Rhys laughed, throwing his arms over Jack’s neck, and, without even opening his eyes, brought the man down with him, turning over in bed and lying on top of him.

 

“There, you’re my prisoner. Now shut up and sleep,”- He said, kissing Jack on the cheek, -“We’ll bang non-stop for the next two days, I promise, just let me have this one…”

He felt Jack’s arms wrap around his body then, holding him closer, -“I’ll remember that one, pumpkin’.”

 

Jack was so warm… Like a living furnace. Rhys didn’t even need a blanket. He was enough.

 

As he was slowly drifting off, Rhys imagined parties and music and cutlery and the taste of food and champagne and Jack’s hands around his waist as they danced throughout the night under a thousand spotlights. 

 

He felt the real Jack’s hands circle his back, his lips pressed against his ear, whispering a soft “I love you too, Rhys. I love you so fucking much.”

 

 

And then everything twisted into a dim, gory mess, and he saw Jack’s face covered in blood, and his eyes shining brighter than the lights of Elpis, and then Rhys was kissing his lips that tasted of bitterness and acid, and he felt perfect, secure, calm, and the absolute _happiest_ he’s ever been in all his life.


End file.
